Digimon Tamers: After the Reaper
by JohnC.ofMars
Summary: The Digimon Tamers thought they were finished. Their only goal was to reunite with their old friends. They will get their chance and will embark on a new adventure that will force them to question good and evil, human and digimon, and everything between.
1. Chapter One: Beginnings

_Disclaimer: This work is for purely entertainment purposes and is not for profit. I do not own Digimon or any characters previously seen in Digimon. If anyone who does own Digimon sees this I am more than willing to help with the next season. Enjoy._

**Chapter One: Beginnings**

Four months after the Digimon have returned to their world.

Takato Matsuki had just discovered a portal leading to the Digital World. Well 'discovered' is probably not the best word. He remembered the portal in his old digital partner's habitat in the middle of the park. The Brown haired boy's mind leapt for joy as the possibilities of seeing his old friend became a reality. He immediately went to the nearest pay phone and dropped a quarter into the slot. With some shaking in his hands he dialed his friend Henry's number. The phone rang and rang and rang. Takato sighed and adjusted the oversized goggles on his forehead. If Henry wasn't home he would simply try Rika next.

*CLICK RATTLE RATLLE* "Hello. Wong residence, how may I help you?" A little girl's voice came over the phone. Takato smiled. Henry had trained Suzie well.

"Hi Suzie, its Takato. Is Henry home?"

"Yeah, hold on just a second." The phone was moved slightly away from the girl's mouth but Takato still had to move his face away as the girl screamed, "Henry, Takato is calling!"

There was a silence for a moment and Takato listened, waiting for his friend to pick up. Finally there was a shuffling over the phone and then a teenage boy's voice came over the other end,

"Hey Takato, what's up?"

"I found a portal." It was all Takato had to say. Henry knew exactly what he was talking about. Every single Tamer had been waiting for just that news. A chance to go to the Digital World and see their partners one more time.

There was a silence on both ends and then Henry came back incredibly serious, "Where?"

"The park," was Takato's only response.

Henry slapped himself in the forehead and let out an audible sigh before coming back nearly yelling at Takato out of joy, "Guilmon's house! How could we have forgotten? I thought we checked there earlier?"

"We did. Somehow it opened up again."

"Well that's great news! I'll tell Suzie and we'll start packing. I'll meet you there in an hour and we'll plan on when we should head out. Call the others."

"I just hope I have enough quarters."

Henry was in a great mood and he came back over the phone, "Call that wildcat Rika collect. I heard she just got a huge boost in allowance. She's the youngest of the three of us and already she's loaded."

"Ok Henry, I will. See ya."

"See ya Takato. And Thanks." With that Henry hung up and Takato had to pull out another quarter and make another call.

* * *

><p>With some effort Takato recalled Rika Nonaka's cell number. He dialed knowing very well that he hadn't called collect. She would have kicked his butt had he done that. Takato had to fight the urge to jog in pace as excitement threatened to take over. They were all going to be together again. Rika didn't pick up her cell. Takato rested the payphone back into the cradle and put the same quarter back into the machine. Maybe her house phone would be better. It rang for some time too, but an old lady finally picked up, "Nonaka residence, who do you need to talk to?"<p>

Takato smiled remembering Rika's grandmother who had once offered to make cookies for him after just meeting him, "Hi. This is Takato. Is Rika around?"

The elderly lady looked down the hall to her granddaughter's room, "yes she is Takato, but she has a boy in there with her and she told me not to disturb her. I'll give her a message if you want."

Takato paused for a second completely baffled by what he had heard. A boy in Rika's room? Do not disturb? The importance of his call reasserted itself in his mind, "it's very important. Can you please just nock on her door and tell her it's me?" Rika's grandmother agreed and walked down the hall.

* * *

><p>Takato waited a few minutes for a response finally a young girl with a fiery temper picked up the phone, "this had better be important, Takato."<p>

Takato simply grinned, "Yeah. Sorry for spoiling your romantic evening, but..."

Rika cut him off, "I don't know what my grandmother told you, but I was **not **having a romantic evening. I'm in the most important Digimon card battle of my life. Kicking butt, by the way. So tell me what you want so I can get back to being awesome."

Takato didn't try and act defensive. His smug grin could almost be heard over the phone, "you'll put up with my stupid questions if you want to see Renamon again."

There was no response from the other end. Frankly Rika was just shocked that Takato had the balls to say something like that to her. And he said Renamon. He knew something. Takato finally let the info out, unable to withhold his excitement any longer, "we'll discuss your awesomeness later. I found a portal."

Rika came back over the phone, "Where is it?"

Takato got that smug smile over his face again, "say I'm awesome."

"What? No way!"

Takato knew he had her, "say I'm the most awesome Tamer you ever met and I'll tell you how you can see Renamon again."

There was a tangible bitterness coming from Rika's end of the line, but finally she broke down in a grumbled tone, "you, Takato Matsuki, are the most awesome Tamer I have ever met."

Takato chimed in, "and all the girls love me."

Rika let out an audible growl of frustration, "goggle-head, if you don't tell me right here and now I'm going to thrash you. And for the record I can guarantee at least one girl right now that you are not winning any points with."

Takato knew he was in trouble, "me and Henry are meeting in the park in about an hour. You should come too. We'll discuss stuff from there."

The fiery redhead wanted to slam the phone down, but Takato continued, "But Rika, I need your help."

Rika now smiled wickedly, but came over the phone in the sweetest voice she could muster, "whatever do you need, my goggle-headed friend?"

Takato was terrified by this voice more than anything, "I'm running low on quarters for the payphone here so can you do me a favor and call some of the group? If you call Kazu and Kenta I'll call Ryo, Jeri, Ai and Mako."

Rika grinned, "How about this? I'll call Jeri and Ryo and you call the others. But you have to do something for me."

Takato sighed knowing what was coming, "what is it?"

"I want you to admit that I'm the prettiest girl you ever met and that I am still the best Tamer this side of two worlds."

Takato groaned, "That's worse than mine!" There was a silence signifying that he wouldn't win this, "You, Rika Nonaka, are the prettiest girl I have ever met and also the best Tamer of two worlds."

Rika smiled, "see. Now was that so hard? I'll see you in an hour. See ya goggle-head." With that she hung up.

Takato was deafened by the clatter and he frowned, "yeah, it kinda was."

* * *

><p>Rika walked back along the outside walkway to her room. The garden was looking beautiful and the pond was very serine, but without Renamon it was all empty. She needed to see her friend. The young girl with the red ponytail slid open her paper thin door and entered the room where a young man her age in a black t shirt and jeans sat behind a half-finished Digimon card game. Ryo Akiyama looked through his cards casually, "what did Takato want?"<p>

Rika sat down across the table from him and looked through her own, "whose turn is it?"

Ryo set a card down on the table face down, "mine, but you haven't answered my question."

Rika sighed, "Takato found a portal to the Digital World. He wants us to meet him at the park to discuss it in an hour."

Ryo stood up, "let's get going then."

Rika urged him to sit back down with a motion of her hand, "Hey I'm just about to beat you in our glorious rematch. Sit down. The game isn't over yet."

Ryo bent over and flipped a card over, "now it is. Let's go."

Rika couldn't believe it. He had beaten her again. '_The best Tamer in two worlds huh' _she thought to herself. '_Well at least I'm still the prettiest. I'll get him later_.'

* * *

><p>Takato picked up the phone again. He had to call Ai and Mako, the two youngest members of the team and Impmon's Tamers. Luckily the twins picked up on the first attempted. They reacted in much the same way as the others. Unlike the majority of the Tamers who lived nearby the twins were far off in Hongo which required a long trip via bus or subway to arrive. They agreed to come, excited to see their partner again, but said they would miss the deadline for the meeting. Takato was worried about them. At six years old the twins were too small to be of much use in the Digital World, but they were Tamers nonetheless. They deserved to be there. Takato agreed to pick them up at the station in three hours' time. They would stay at his house and he would return them home to get their things the next day.<p>

* * *

><p>Next on the list were Kazu and Kenta. Takato had two quarters left, but was sure he would only need one. The troublesome duo would almost certainly be together. Kazu's house was the first place Takato tried. As luck would have it the cocky Tamer picked up, "What's going on, Takato? Haven't heard from you in ages."<p>

"We saw each other at school two days ago."

"Yeah but school doesn't count as social time."

Takato chuckled at his friend's insight, "is Kenta there with you?"

Kazu paused, "how did you know he was here?"

Takato laughed, "Just a guess. You two are joined at the hip. Anyway I need you two to get to the park ASAP. I found something I think you guys might like. We're all meeting here."

Kazu shouted to Kenta, "Hey buddy, the Tamers are getting back together in the park! I bet you found out something about Guardromon didn't you?"

From over the phone came a, "did he find MarineAngemon?"

Takato answered back, "I found a portal. We are going to them, but for now we're discussing when and what we're bringing so let's get a move on. I'll see you guys here soon."

With that Takato was finished with all his call. Now he just had to hope Rika would follow her part.

* * *

><p>Rika dialed Jeri on her cell as she walked to the park. She was unsure as to why they would be calling Jeri anyway. The girl had lost her Digimon in their first trip to the Digital World. Although Rika was very sad for the girl the idea of taking her back only seemed like a bad one. The thought of Jeri going back and seeing all the things that reminded her of Leomon could only stir up old wounds. Still they all seemed to do whatever their fearless leader asked so Rika waited for Jeri to pick up.<p>

The cheerful girl did pick up almost on the second ring, "Hello, this is Jeri, what can I do for you?"

Rika liked that the Jeri had regained most of her cheerfulness. After what happened to her it was hard to see how, "Hi Jeri, its Rika."

"Oh hi Rika! It's been so long. How have you been?"

Rika smiled, "I'm good. Takato asked me to call you."

Jeri sounded confused, "Takato? Why didn't he call himself?"

"We'll you see he was running out of quarters when he called me and I volunteered to call you. It's a long story, but the short version is he wants all the Tamers to get to the park. He found a portal."

There was a long silence on the other end, "that's wonderful, Rika. I'm glad you'll be able to see the others again, but why does this involve me? There's nobody on the other side of that portal waiting for me."

Rika felt the sadness creeping into the girl. She did her best to cheer her up, "Because even without a Digimon you're still a Tamer. You're still one of us. Nobody can take that from you. And besides, we all want to see each other again. You included."

Jeri perked up, "when do I need to be there?"

"I'm heading there now with Ryo. Get there as soon as you can."

Jeri said goodbye and hung up the phone. Rika was glad her friend was still cheery. All the pieces were successfully in place. The Tamers were having a reunion.


	2. Chapter Two: Reunion

_Disclaimer: This work is for purely entertainment purposes and is not for profit. I do not own Digimon or any characters previously seen in Digimon. If anyone who does own Digimon sees this I am more than willing to help with the next season. Enjoy._

**Chapter Two: Reunion**

Takato Matsuki was swinging on one of the many playground swings at the park, watching the sunset. How many times had he done the exact same thing with his partner at his side? Would he ever get to do so again? So many thoughts went through his mind. Suzie was playing on the large playground toys while big brother Henry looked after her. The others had not yet arrived, but he was glad that they would all be together again. Nobody saw each other anymore. Nobody except Takato. Henry, Takato, Kazu, Kenta and Jeri all went to the same school together. Their interaction was pretty regular. Henry still came by every now and then. Suzie was sometimes with him. Kazu and Kenta played cards with Takato every Saturday, and Jeri always seemed to be close by Takato near lunch. Rika went to a different school altogether, but she lived nearby and so Takato visited regularly. Ryo Akiyama lived in a different area, but kept in touch with the others. Takato liked Ryo; at certain points Takato wished Ryo had been selected by the group to be the leader. It would have made Takato's life easier. Still the idea that the group should remain tight was in the minds of both boys. Ai and Mako never came around much, but Takato made it a point to check up on the two when he could with a phone call every now and then. He could feel it though. The others were slowly pulling away from each other. Henry would always have Suzie and Kazu and Kenta would probably stick together. He and Jeri were rather close and the twins were still too young to have other pressing matters, but life was becoming more and more a distraction to the bond they all shared. Without the Digimon they were a group of misfits bound together only by Takato's need to keep the team alive. They needed the Digimon.

* * *

><p>Ryo walked up to Takato and patted him on the back, "good job. I knew we'd find one eventually."<p>

Takato left his thoughts and turned to Ryo and Rika at his left. Takato was extremely surprised to see the two together. Rika had hated Ryo with a passion ever since he beat her in a Digimon cards tournament years earlier. Takato pointed to Ryo while addressing Rika, "so this is your romantic date?"

Ryo looked confused and lifted his hands trying to get himself out of the situation, "I don't know what she's been telling people, but I was just at her house card battling her when you called."

Rika pushed the tamer in black aside and pulled Takato up off the swing by his blue shirt, "listen goggle-head, we were having a rematch when you interrupted and if you keep saying that I'm romantically involved with Ryo, or anyone else for that matter, I'll slug you all the way to next Tuesday!"

Takato freed himself and sat back down watching Ryo slowly walk away to talk to Henry. Takato was left alone to defuse Rika, "Sorry. I was just joking. You do have to admit it seems weird to have you and Ryo arriving together, or being in the same room together, or really being in the same city together."

Rika froze him with an icy glare, "if you say 'together' one more time I swear I'll bean you."

Takato stopped. He began to swing back and forth. After a few swings he motioned for Rika to join him. She refused, "I don't swing."

Takato slowed down, "since when?"

Rika put her back to one of the bars of the swing set, "it's just not something I do anymore."

Takato stopped swinging, "you can at least have a seat on one can't you?"

Rika didn't say anything and so neither did Takato. For the longest time he thought of something to say that wouldn't upset the girl. Finally he came up with, "so did you finally whip Ryo's ass in cards?"

Rika was surprised to hear Takato swear. He had changed a lot since the day she met him. He had gotten bolder and more mature. His good hearted nature was still dominant, but he was more confident in himself. Still the idea of losing to Ryo again stung terribly so she simply turned farther away, "shut up, Takato."

Takato didn't say a word. Rika liked that: a man who knew when to take a hint. Now when were the others showing up?

* * *

><p>Jeri arrived next with a few shopping bags filled with drinks. Takato had supplied treats from his family's bakery and so when Kazu and Kenta arrived it was to find everyone picnicking. It was good to finally have everyone together. This was half of their group, but without the Digimon it would only be half. Everyone sat around the assorted playground equipment and listened to Takato. "So I think we should start packing the essentials. Food and drinks are always a good start, but remember to properly strap them in. T.P. is always good too. I want everyone to have some sort of light and possibly a weapon if you can spare one. Our digivices should lead us to our Digimon once we're there, but we might encounter some harsh resistance when we get there. I know we've all been there before and we all know what to expect so come prepared."<p>

Kazu interrupted, "thanks for the input, but let's get to the good stuff. When are we leaving?"

Takato answered, "The day after tomorrow seems like plenty of time to pack up and set out. Meet me back here at ten A.M. then and we'll all set out. If some of you don't want to go for whatever reason I understand that. Anyone want to hold down the fort while we're gone?"

Everyone thought about this. Henry was the first to stand, "I'll go, but I don't want Suzie going."

Suzie objected, "I want to see Lopmon! Big brother, let me go with. We won't find Lopmon without me."

Henry calmed her down, "I'm sure that all our Digimon are together. If they are anything like us then they're still looking after each other." Suzie just pouted.

Takato sighed. One down. "Anybody else?"

Jeri stood up, "I'll stay here and take care of Suzie while you're gone. There's no reason for me to go."

Takato called Jeri to him and walked away from the group while talking to her, "Jeri, if you don't want to come that's ok, but we want you to come. I know you want to look after Henry's sister, but we always like having you with us. It's your choice. If you don't think you can handle going back then I understand completely. There are a lot of bad memories for all of us there. You especially. It's your choice, but I won't force you to come. I just… kind of wish you would."

Jeri lowered her head in sadness. It was a hard decision for her to make. She looked to Takato, "oh Takato, I want to go, but I don't think I could bare to be back. But I don't want to never go back again. Do you think we'll get a chance after this to go back? I don't want to pass up my only chance to say goodbye."

Takato wanted to comfort the girl, to wrap his arms around her, but he couldn't, "I don't know, Jeri. I wish I did. Something tells me we are extremely blessed to find this portal. But I know that any barrier they put up to separate the two worlds is only temporary. Friendship will find a way. I promised Guilmon that I would play with him again. I intend to keep my promise. I'll see him again no matter what. Just like I know you'll get a chance to say goodbye to Leomon one last time."

Jeri wiped the tears that hard started to form from her eyes, "thank you, Takato. I think I will come with you guys after all. It'll be hard, but I know I can do it."

Takato felt extremely happy for that. They returned to the group, "Well then. It's all settled. We know who's coming. In two days we'll be off to the digital world! Pack your tooth brushes and get ready. Keep in touch." With that everyone dispersed and Takato headed to the train station.

* * *

><p>Ai and Mako were very small and very young, but somehow when Takato arrived and the train coming from Hongo to West Shinjuku pulled into station the two young twins stepped off and Takato greeted them, "hey you two. How have things been?"<p>

The little girl in the red dress answered, "Good. How have you been?"

Takato smiled as he led the way, "good. Good."

The little boy in the blue overalls cut in, "so when do we get to see Impmon?"

Takato laughed at their innocents, "in a few days me and the others will be going to the digital world to look for them. In the meantime I need you two to ask your parents if you can go. You'll be the youngest there and I can understand if they say no. I just wanted you two to be included."

Mako objected, "I want to go to the digital world now. I want to see Impmon. We'll wait, but we're going, no matter what."

Takato stopped for a second, "listen, the digital world is no place for little kids. I want you guys to be involved, but not if it'll worry your mom and dad. You don't want to worry them do you?"

Ai and Mako piped up in unison, "no."

Ai spoke alone next, "we already asked our folks and they said no. We just want to go see Impmon so bad. Please let us go."

Takato was in a situation, "sorry guys, but I respect what your parents say. You have to stay here. We'll find Impmon and bring him back. I promise."

Ai and Mako were disappointed the rest of the night. Takato was down on a couch while the twins took his bed. He heard them whispering and arguing well into the night. They wanted to go so very badly, but knew Takato wouldn't let them. So that was the plan. Takato, Henry, Rika, Kazu, Kenta, Jeri and Ryo were going. Basically it was the same group that had entered in the beginning with the addition of Ryo. Takato closed his eyes. They would be ready.

* * *

><p>Henry called Takato late the next day in a panic. Takato had just gotten back from dropping off the twins when the phone rang. He could barely hear Henry over the loud noises in the background, "Takato! Get to the park now. I've been trying to get through to you all day. It's Yamaki! He's sealing the portal!"<p>

Takato was immediately out the door and heading towards the park. Sure enough the sounds of construction were heard from far off. As Takato ran up some steps to Guilmon's old hide out he saw giant cement trucks pouring concrete into the blocked off area that Guilmon had lived in. Henry and Rika were there. Rika was just barely containing her heartbreak as she watched the cement go into the little room. Yamaki was standing next to the sight flicking his lighter open and closed. Takato grew furious. He ran up the steps as quickly as he could and gripped Yamaki by the collar, "why? Why are you doing this? This is our only chance to see them again!"

The shadow government official broke Takato from him, "I'm sorry, Takato. This portal is a threat to security. If even one Digimon bio emerges from it we don't have the resources to stop it. You don't have your Digimon anymore either. We'd be defenseless."

Takato glared at him, "then let us go through. Just the three of us. Then you can seal it up. We'll find our own way home."

Yamaki simply looked away, "I can't allow that, Takato. We are working on an ark in Hypnos. When it's completed we will be able to transfer you and your friends to the digital world and back. But I need to construct a firewall first. I need to be able to block harmful Digimon from getting here."

Takato just stared at the home of his old friend as it began to overflow with cement. Yamaki placed a hand on Takato's shoulder. The young teen shrugged it off. Yamaki sighed, "I'm sorry, Takato. You'll see them again. I promise you that."

Takato no longer had any fight left in him. He simply wept as the chances of seeing his friend vanished before his eyes. Henry placed a hand on Takato's shoulder. Takato looked up and saw both his old friends with him feeling just as horrible as he was feeling. They tried to comfort each other, but the Tamers knew they had suffered a great loss there that day. The dreams of seeing their Digimon again moved farther and farther away.


	3. Chapter Three: The Messages

_Disclaimer: This work is for purely entertainment purposes and is not for profit. I do not own Digimon or any characters previously seen in Digimon. This chapter makes reference to the audio drama Digimon Tamers: Message in the Packet. I do not own that either. If anyone who does own Digimon sees this I am more than willing to help with the next season. Enjoy._

**Chapter Three: The Messages**

One year after separation.

Henry had an idea. It was not a very exciting one, but an idea nonetheless. He had been studying his father's work ever since the Digimon left. Data and such. Binary and computations. The work was slow, but after a year he had come up with a plan to send the Digimon a message. Several messages actually. One from each partner to their respective Digimon. He would encode it so that only the Digimon with the same data signature as their partners could read it. To every other Digimon it would just look like useless data. Unfortunately each message couldn't be sent to their respective Digimon so the packets would simply blow around the digital world until the right Digimon came across it. It was a long shot, but after Hypnos sealed up the portal it was all they had left. Each and every Tamer sent a message out to their Digimon. It was hard for everyone. After a year hope was lessening. The ark hit pitfall after pitfall while Yamaki's firewall grew bigger and bigger. They were separated and hope was in short supply. Still every Tamer poured their heart out into a message that they couldn't be sure their partner would ever find. When Henry hit send and the messages were sent into the digital world it was with the last bit of hope the Tamers could muster.

* * *

><p>Two nights after the messages were sent someone responded. It was not a partner Digimon and not everyone received a reply. At three in the morning Rika Nonaka's cell phone began to ring. Rika rolled over in her bed and angrily looked at the number on the phone. It said unregistered.<p>

She flipped it open groggily and answered, "hello?"

A calm masculine voice came over the other end, "Rika Nonaka?"

Rika sat up angrily, "yeah. Who is this and why are you calling me so late?"

The voice came back over the line cool, crisp and in control, "I apologize for calling at such a late hour but I had to be sure you were alone. You are alone aren't you?"

Rika was starting to get a really big stalker feeling in her. The guy was creeping her out, "I'm going back to bed. Leave me alone. Goodbye." With that she shut the cell phone. The phone began to ring again as soon as she set it down. After about eight rings it shut off. Then it buzzed again. Rika looked at it and saw that the creep had texted her. She opened up her phone and read it. Rika couldn't believe what it said: "I can get Renamon to you. Please pick up."

With that the phone began to ring again and Rika immediately answered, "Is this some kind of joke?"

The man on the other end laughed dryly, "Miss Nonaka, this is no joke. I'm going to be your biggest hero soon so it might be wise for you to start being nice to me." Rika hated this guy already, but she kept silent and allowed him to talk. "You do want to see her again, don't you?"

Rika was growing angry, "of course I do. When will you let me see her again?"

The man on the other end thought for a moment, "Oh I'd say you'll see her again in about a week. It's not easy smuggling Digimon into this world. She and all her digital friends aren't exactly easy to hide. But once they're off my plane that becomes your job."

Rika smelt a trap, "I'll call the others. Where should we meet you?"

The man on the other end sighed, "Just you, Miss Nonaka. The others aren't going to meet me. I'll phone you with the rest of the plan once I get back. Some of the Digimon are harder to find than others."

Rika scoffed, "Have you even found Renamon? Do you have her or are you just bluffing me?"

The man on the other end simply replied, "Oh I have her. She's very safe. And quite comfortable, I assure you. Don't take this the wrong way. I'm not a black-mailing thug. I want to reunite you kids with your friends as much as the next guy. It's just not that easy. So far the only ones left are Impmon and Calumon and the second I get off the phone with you I intend to track them down."

Rika sensed a 'but' coming, "what's the catch?"

The man projected as much innocence as he could over the phone, "there isn't one really. I only ask that if anyone asks you tell them nothing about me. Your friends are never to know about me. As soon as we hang up I want you to erase my calls and my text from your phone. That and agree to follow some simple instructions once you pick up your partner."

Rika caught the fine print, "what instructions?"

The man laughed slightly, "nothing brutal, sexual or degrading. I merely need protection and anonymity. If you can agree to my terms your Digimon are free. At least this time." With that the man hung up.

Rika tried to redial, but it didn't work. She was confronted with what to do. She could call Takato and the others, but the guy made it clear that she was the only one to know about this. The guy could be, and almost assuredly was, full of shit. But what if he wasn't? What if he told the truth and Renamon would be with her in a weeks' time? Rika would have to take that chance. She missed her friend too much.

* * *

><p>The man on the other end of the telephone hung up and prepped for the trip. He was not really a man, no older than fifteen or sixteen. His black sunglasses hid his eyes and the dark leather jacket made him an unapproachable sort. He slowly pushed a single strand of black hair as it fell into his eyes as he checked his pack. A telescope, a compass, and a box of ammo were the most of it. He also had a large medical kit just in case. Some toilet paper for obvious reasons and enough rations for two on a week-long trip. Nothing else was really important. He checked his handgun one last time before holstering it at his right hip. A sword was sheathed at his left. With that he picked up the pack and slung it over his shoulder where two metallic coils seemed to sprout from it and wrap around the boys arms. He checked his watch and synchronized it with his home clock. Now with his supplies ready all he had to do was open the gate. He tapped a few buttons on a console near a large aperture sunk into the wall of his home. The aperture seemed to sizzle with electricity and then pop. After that the gate was open. The shining digital stream of the other world was visible on the other side.<p>

He adjusted the pack one last time, "you ready to go, old friend?"

From somewhere a harsh growl of a voice replied, "always."

With that he entered the gate.

* * *

><p>The digital world was barren even a year after the attack from the D-reaper. Almost every area showed signs of erosion where the corroding influence of the D-reaper had touched them. Other areas were gone altogether. The upper levels of the digital world were all but destroyed and it was very difficult to find any signs of life in the harsh landscape. Difficult, but not impossible. A small black shadow whipped across the dry desert landscape of the digital world's first level. Wild winds blew in every direction, but the shadow was a constant, slithering like a serpent to some unknown destination. Atop a large hill lay the young man with his telescope out observing the windy area. The shadow came to rest by the young man.<p>

From the blackness came a dark shrill voice, "sir, I found them."

The boy turned and looked at the darkness at his side, "good boy. Which direction?"

"West of here."

The forms of east and west did not work the same way in the digital world, but a compass dictated the direction anyway and so the young boy positioned himself and looked through the telescope into the distance, "you're right. I see them off in the distance. He's advanced. And you're sure they are together?"

The shadow responded, "yes sir. Master Adman?"

The young man answered while watching something off in the distance, "yes, Shadowmon?"

"Why do we care so much about these creatures? We did most of the work before. We can win again without their help."

The young man tilted his sunglasses slightly, "the next storm is far off, but it will be worse than the last. I fear we will need them all. You and I will need help."

With that the shadow crawled back onto the young man's back and formed itself into the backpack. The man himself leapt from the hill and walked in the direction the motorcycle he had seen in the distance was headed. It was traveling roughly in his direction, but he didn't want to chase the final two should they change course.

* * *

><p>As the loud motorcycle came closer the man in black saw the biker riding it and knew his search was over. Beelzemon, the leather clad biker with dual shotguns and savage claws seemed to notice the traveling man and slowed as he approached. Beelzemon was almost humanoid. The only thing that would have given him away was the long rat-like tail that trailed slightly behind the bike. His three eyes were different too, but easier to ignore.<p>

The biker pulled up alongside the man, "a human in the digital world? There goes the neighborhood. Ya lost, kid, or are ya just wandering this barren wasteland fer the fun of it?"

The man didn't respond at first. He simply tilted his body to see the back of the bike. A small white Digimon with a red triangle on the forehead was sleeping on the back of the bike. The man refocused on the biker, "cute little fellah. He doesn't really suit you though. Care for a drink? I got a canteen in my bag with some pretty good stuff in it."

The biker looked up at the blazing sun of the digital world, which was in fact the Earth, and looked back, "I guess I could use a drink. What do I call you, stranger?"

The man reached back and pulled a canteen from his bag. He undid the top and handed it to Beelzemon. The sharp claws at the end of the biker's fingers would have scared another man. Not this one though.

As Beelzemon drank the human sat down on the ground, "so you're Ai and Mako's Digimon, aren't you."

Beelzemon finished draining the contents of the canteen and then passed it to the stranger, "that depends on who's askin'?"

The young man stuffed the canteen back in the bag and then took his sunglasses off, exposing his piercing blue eyes to the harsh winds, "I'd hate to tell you. If I do I'll just have to ask you to forget it later. Here's what I'm prepared to offer you though. I want to take you out of here. I'll send you back to the human world to see your darling Tamers again along with that little puffball, Calumon. All I ask in return is that you don't tell anyone about me. Deal?"

The biker looked up at the big blue world again, "no thanks. I'll find my own way home. But thanks for the drink." Beelzemon revved up the bike again, but the young man drew his sword and shoved it in-between the spokes of the rear wheel. The Digimon just looked at it and calmly drew a shotgun, "listen, I don't know who ya think ya are, but I don't work with shady types like you no more. I'll find my own way home. Now would ya kindly remove yer sword from my wheel so that I can go. My killing days are behind me, but for you I'm thinking I could relive some old memories."

The warrior stared down the mega level Digimon's shotgun and never once flinched, "please come with me. All the others are waiting. I just need you to come with. The humans are constructing a firewall around the digital world. I'm sure you've already noticed the skies turning red. More and more of the digital world is becoming blocked by this wall. If you don't come with me I fear you'll never see your Tamers again. And I need you to see them again. Please come with me."

The Digimon pondered this for a second. Then he slowly put his shotgun away, "I really doubt yer doing this fer me, but I do want to go home. Tell you what. If ya lie to me I'll remove your arm. For every lie you make I'll remove a limb. You got four so far so make um good ones. Got it?"

The human removed the sword from the Digimon's bike and sheathed it, "fair enough."

Beelzemon popped his knuckles, "now, which way are we goin'?"

The young man put his glasses back on, "just follow the shadow."

With that he seemed to plummet into the very ground of the digital world. All that remained was his shadow. Then it began to move. Beelzemon watched the shadow race along the landscape.

He laughed dryly as he shot after it on his bike. "Just my luck to end up chasin' shadows."

* * *

><p>Rika Nonaka was awake in bed wondering what to do. After three days she still hadn't told anybody about the mysterious call she had received earlier. The thoughts of what to do were keeping her up late night after night. That and the excitement over the possibility of seeing Renamon again. She looked at her phone to check the time. It was just past midnight. What was she going to do? Then the phone rang while it was still in her hand, startling her. She opened it and saw that it was unregistered. It was him. She answered it, "Hello?"<p>

The voice was cheerful on the other end, "Good evening, Miss Nonaka. Or is it good morning already? I really don't know. Time zones and all that. But my pilot tells me we'll be landing in the Shinjuku airport in about four hours. Do you plan to meet us there?"

Rika panicked, "Four hours! You said I had a week! How am I supposed to be prepared?"

The man, on the other hand, came over the end reassuringly, "there will be a driver in front of your house in three and a half hours. He will drive you to the airport and back. That is if you wish to meet us. I know it's late and the schedule has changed, but things went better than planned and I knew that you'd be positively bursting with excitement to see your old friend. Either way you have four hours to get here. Use my driver or take the subway. Hell you can come on a rickshaw for all I care. Just get down here."

With that the phone disconnected and Rika was left to decide on what to do. With some effort she decided to go, but slipped some pepper spray into her pocket. It seemed very damsel in distress, but at the moment it was the best she could think of. Then she decided to switch her shirt to one from the good old days. A white shirt with light green sleeves and a matching broken heart in the center. Her warrior shirt. It seemed appropriate. For Renamon she could be tough by herself.

After about three hours of mental preparation she slowly exited her room and waited outside her mother's property for some sort of vehicle to pick her up. At 3:30 exactly a large limousine pulled up from around the corner and the driver stepped out.

He was an elderly gentleman in a tuxedo and a driver's cap, "Miss Nonaka?"

The driver seemed kindly enough. She nodded and he opened the door in the far back for her. She reluctantly sat inside the large vehicle. The inside was beautifully upholstered in scarlet and Rika couldn't help but think of Takato and Guilmon. As the vehicle began moving she got a pit in her stomach and knew she had made a mistake. The driver could be taking her anywhere. As it was all she could do was hope. The large vehicle did seem to be going in the general direction of the Shinjuku airport.

* * *

><p>After a short drive with uncertainty twisting inside of Rika the car stopped and Rika realized that she was on the tarmac of the airport.<p>

The driver opened her door for her and she stepped out slowly, "so where are they?"

The driver pointed outwards, "over there."

A large jet was slowly coming around on the runway in their direction. The jet stopped some hundred feet from the car and Rika wondered how the people inside would disembark. A car with a little staircase was driving up towards the plane, but before it could get into position one of the emergency doors popped open. The yellow emergency slide inflated and a teenager in black slid down the slide.

The young man clapped his hands together as he stood at ground level, "you always want to do it, but never find the opportunity. Well I finally took it."

The driver walked up to the eccentric young man, "sir the stairs were coming."

The young man quickly corrected the elder one, "well they didn't arrive quick enough now did they? It's my plane and I'll do with it what I want. Now send the Digimon down and roll that thing up. We'll be leaving in a few."

The elder man left the two alone.

The man in black put his sunglasses on and tried to get into his normal persona, "I'm not normally so giddy, but today has been a good day. I finally brought them all back." With that he whistled absentmindedly, "so are you ready to see them again?"

Rika just nodded, trying not to stand too close to the young man. She was amazed at how young he was. Over the phone he sounded somewhat older, but in person he was only about a year older than her. Still he was somewhat what she imagined. The black clothes and the sunglasses fit perfectly with the secrecy the man seemed to enjoy so much. All other thoughts were pushed aside as a red nose poked itself out of the plane.

The little red raptor named Guilmon looked down at the slide and then slid down face first amid bursts of joy, "it's great to be home."

The little dinosaur with the hazard symbol on his chest was Takato's Digimon, but Rika was glad to see him anyway. The guy had done it. He had brought back the Digimon. Next down the slide was Henry's Digimon, Terriermon. This Digimon was like a two foot Pillsbury doughboy with very long ears tinged with green. After that was Suzie's Digimon, Lopmon. Lopmon was a black and pink version of Terriermon and could have been modeled after a chocolate Easter bunny. Next was Rika's Digimon. Renamon leapt from the plane to the stairway and then down to ground level. Renamon was a bipedal yellow fox with purple gloves decorated with the ying-yang symbol. Her chest had some white decorating her belly all the way to the neck. Renamon was home. In an instant all the hatred she had for the man left Rika. She ran to her partner and wrapped her arms around the Digimon in a powerful embrace. Tears were shed and Rika didn't notice the other Digimon get out of the plane and enter the limo.

Everyone but Renamon and Kazu's Digimon Guardromon were already in the car when she let go of her friend. Guardromon was an android Digimon. Strong metal encased the clunky body and the girth-y size of the Digimon forced it to travel alongside vehicles.

The man tapped Rika's shoulder, "you're welcome."

Rika wrapped her arms around the guy and surprise fell over his features. She just kept saying, "thank you, thank you, thank you."

The young man had her release him, "no problem. Just a few simple rules. If anyone asks, you don't know me. You know nothing about me, and you don't know where the Digimon came from."

Rika smiled. It was an easy request since all of it was true.

She just tilted her head, "what do I call you?"

The man shook his head, "you don't. You don't talk about me. No writing me in a diary. No nothing."

Rika shoved him playfully, "yeah, but I still want a name. The boy in black hardly seems fair."

From somewhere in the darkness a gruff voice replied, "He calls himself Adman. Adman Hows. But don't tell anyone."

The boy stomped the ground and yelled at it, "shut up! She doesn't need to know anything."

The young girl smiled, "well Adman. Thank you."

She walked off with Renamon into the limo. Admin stopped the door before it could close completely and looked inside. A little imp in black with a wicked smiley face on the front covered by a red bandana was sitting in-between Rika and Renamon.

He nodded to it, "Hey Impmon, I'll get your bike to you in a couple days. See you at Hongo."

Impmon nodded. His trust in the young man had paid off. He was home. Now was just a short drive back home.

* * *

><p>The limo took off and as they were driving away a large thump shook the car.<p>

Rika rolled down the window and called out to Guardromon, "what was that?"

The clunky robot was clipping alongside the limo with jets he had in his back, "The plane we came in on just blew up."

Rika turned around. Sure enough a reddish yellow fire was engulfing the whole jet. She worried for Adman. They had just met, but he seemed nice enough. Weird, but nice. He had at least kept his word. She hoped he was ok.

Rika looked away and focused on Renamon, "Renamon, who was that guy?"

The yellow fox stared at Rika with that emotionless indifferent look that she normally held, "I don't know. He doesn't seem too bad, but I get the feeling that he thinks he is."

Terriermon chimed in, "Rika, he's got a Digimon."

Renamon added in, "oh yes. It looks a lot like me."

Impmon butted in, "yeah, but all black and with some serious hardware on its shoulders."

Renamon thumped the little imp and he fell silent, "I'm still probably stronger. He keeps his Digimon hidden away. It blends with the shadows."

The driver window rolled down and the driver called back, "my master told me to remind you all that talking about him is a strict no-no."

The other Digimon went silent.

Rika called up to the driver, "did he say anything else?"

The driver thought for a moment. Then something came to him, "he said 'this one's free, but the next one 'll cost ya'."

Rika frowned, "what does that mean?"

The driver window rolled up and all conversation was cut off.


	4. Chapter Four: Old Friends

_Disclaimer: This work is for purely entertainment purposes and is not for profit. I do not own Digimon or any characters previously seen in Digimon. This chapter makes reference to the audio drama Digimon Tamers: Message in the Packet. I do not own that either. If anyone who does own Digimon sees this I am more than willing to help with the next season. Enjoy._

**Chapter Four: Old Friends.**

Rika had herself and the Digimon dropped off in the park where they all use to play. While the Digimon fooled around in their favorite stomping ground Rika began making calls.

Takato was the first called, since he was their unofficial leader, and despite the fact that it was four in the morning he picked up on the second ring. When Rika said who it was he replied, "Hi Rika. What's new with you?"

Rika was surprised he was up. He sounded jittery too. She tried to remain calm, though she was excited too "Meet me in the park."

"Yeah sure, Rika. What's going on?"

"They're back."

Takato went silent. Rika called Guilmon over with a wave of her hand. The red dinosaur walked up to the phone and Rika held it to his ear.

The little dinosaur, confused, asked, "What do I say?"

Rika tried not to smile at the goofy Digimon as she suggested, "Tell him you miss him, you big dummy. Just say what you've wanted to say."

Guilmon thought for a second and then put his face closer to the phone "Takato, I've missed you so much! Come down to the park and we'll chase squirrels together. Pleeeease!"

There was no response. Rika put the phone back up to her ear and listened. The phone began to beep showing that the call had ended. Rika shut her cell phone and opened it to call the others. Takato was definitely on his way.

* * *

><p>All hours of the night teenage boys and girl gathered in the park to reunite with their lost partners. Jeri came down for Calumon. Kazu rode home on Guardromon's back. MarineAngemon, the pink six inch mega, slept in Kenta's pocket as the Tamer took the little guy home. Terriermon and Lopmon were both on Henry's head as he took them home to wake Suzie up. Impmon wanted to surprise his partners so he left on his own to take the subway down to Hongo. Takato sat on a swing set watching Guilmon head up towards his old hideout Takato didn't have the heart to tell the big red dinosaur that he no longer had a home. Rika stood watching the scene from a stair on a playground toy.<p>

Renamon asked Rika, "So how has life been without us?"

Rika thought for a moment before replying casually, "Good I guess. We all tried our best to be the same as we were when we had you. Takato got the stuffing beat out of him once when he tried to stop a mugging. Without his little dinosaur he just wasn't a match."

Takato yelled over to Rika, embarrassed, "I told you not to mention that to anybody!"

Rika just continued, "Jeri is just as happy as she used to be. For her there was never a chance of getting her partner back so its been easier for her to deal with everything. Kazu and Kenta had a slight falling out for a few days."

Renamon tilted her head, curious, as she asked, "Over what?"

Rika laughed, "They've been fighting over some girl. You know how it is. Boys."

Renamon just looked away towards the little red dinosaur coming back down from the cemented hideout. She'd never known anything similar in any of her Digimon friends. So she mussed, "I think it's a human thing."

Rika continued, "Um' Henry has gotten really big into science and computers. He was trying to figure out a way to get you guys home. It'll be funny to see if he gives it all up now that you're all here."

Renamon sat next to the girl. There was silence as the two watched the teenage boy and his Digimon talk about the past. It was probably a similar conversation to what they were having.

Rika remembered something and asked, "Did you get our messages? We sent them to you a while back."

Renamon, smiling internally at the thought of Rika sending her a message, replied "I never got one, but Impmon did. What did yours say?"

Rika looked away as she recalled the message, "You know. That I missed you and I wasn't going to say goodbye because I knew I'd see you again. That I thought of you as a big sister. Stuff like that. I'm probably gushing, but it's good to see you again."

The yellow fox put a paw on Rika's shoulder "Thank you, Rika. I knew that you would never forget about us. It is good to be with you again."

Rika wrapped an arm around her friend, pulling her into a hug. Renamon just sat there and let Rika hold her. After some time the yellow fox said to the girl, "you've gotten bigger too. How old are you now?"

The girl replied, "I'm fourteen in a month."

The fox stood and stretched as she stated, "Do you still play with the Digimon cards?"

Rika thought for a moment. Her cards were in a box in the back of her room. She'd gotten bored with them mostly; only taking them out to spar against one of the others. With Renamon back maybe she'd get back into the spirit of things.

* * *

><p>As the first rays of sunshine beamed over the treetops of the park foliage Takato and Guilmon ran over to Rika and Renamon.<p>

Takato adjusted the goggles on his head "Rika, I don't know how you did it, but thank you. I don't know how any of us could ever repay you."

Rika wasn't about to mention Adman Hows, the boy in black who had somehow brought all their Digimon back to them, as per their deal. She was prepared to take all credit and reward for it though.

The young girl cocked her head nonchalantly "Well a treat from your bakery would be a nice start."

Takato smiled "Sure thing. Anything else?"

Rika dismissed her old friend "I'll think about it. In the meantime go spend some time with that bread snarfing doofis of yours."

Guilmon nodded. The teenage boy and his Digimon walked away leaving Rika and Renamon alone.

The fox just watch the two go "What about you, Rika? How have things been for you?"

Rika put her back against a log and stretched "things have been okay I guess. I do well in school and mom and grandma are fine. I even got asked to one of those stupid dances at the school."

The fox tilted her head, revealing nothing of her inner thoughts, "How was it?"

The young girl slid down into a lying position, "I didn't go."

The fox dropped her head slightly "I see. You know it was okay for you to have fun while I was gone."

Rika replied, "I do have fun. Just not as much as when you're here."

The fox walked up higher onto the toy and looked over to the sunny horizon.

Rika thought for a moment and then piped up, "I want to give you your own room when we get to my house."

The foxes eyes actually became surprised for just a moment, a rare display of emotion "Why, Rika? Do you not want me in your room anymore?"

The girl stood up "It's not that. When you left I realized that even though we had tons of extra rooms at my house you never had a space to call your own. I want to give you that this time."

The fox was genuinely touched "That's very generous of you, Rika."

The young girl began walking home and the yellow fox followed.

Rika called back, "Well, you're family. You deserve to be treated as such."

The yellow fox didn't say a word, but inwardly a single thought rolled through her head, '_family._'

* * *

><p>Over the next few days Renamon was reintroduced to Rika's mom and grandmother. They agreed to allow the Digimon to have a room. Rika brought some paints from storage and began painting one of the walls. Renamon watched as the young girl worked; observing the calm strokes of the brush as a picture was formed. In the mural on the wall was a beautiful full moon on a pitch black night over some body of water. The water rippled as single leaves fell onto it and the light of the moon reflected off of the almost completely calm surface. Renamon watched Rika paint for hours without saying a word.<p>

When the grand mural was complete Rika dusted herself off and turned to ask Renamon, "What do you think?"

The fox stared at it deeply "It's beautiful, Rika."

The girl took a towel and began wiping paint off of her arms "Thanks. This is what I feel every time we biomerge. It's a calm that I just can't seem to ignore. A beauty and a peacefulness seems to surround us. It seems almost magical."

Renamon rubbed paint off of Rika's nose "I know."

There was a small knock at the paper sliding door of Renamon's room. She slid it open to reveal Takato and Guilmon. The young boy was carrying a potted plant while the dinosaur was holding two grocery bags. Renamon allowed them in.

Takato looked around "Your room is coming along great, Renamon. I just wanted to give you a room warming gift."

Takato handed her the plant "It's a Japanese Peace Lily. I've been told they're very relaxing."

Renamon held the potted plant and ran a finger gently across one of the leaves "Why thank you, Takato, but how will this warm my room?"

Rika smirked "It's like a housewarming present. When someone gets a new house their friends bring them something to make the space feel more like home. But since this is a room and not a house they brought a 'room warming' present."

The Digimon stared at it; confused for a second. Then she set the plant down in one corner of the room "Thank you, boys. It does make the room feel more natural."

Takato smiled "Just remember to water it every now and then."

He turned to the mural on the wall and gasped, "Wow. That looks beautiful! You two sure have a talent."

Renamon put her back against one of the unpainted walls "Rika did it."

Takato looked to Rika "You have a career as an artist, Rika."

Rika blushed ever slightly, embarrassed, as both Takato and Guilmon praised her work.

Renamon asked, "So Takato, have you been watching after Rika while I was gone? I sure hope someone was."

Rika cut in, "oh Renamon, I don't need to be looked after."

Takato smiled "we've all been taking care of each other as best we can."

Renamon seemed to smile for a moment. Then her head tilted and there was almost a look of mischief in her features "so Rika tells me she was asked to a school dance, but she won't tell me the boy's name. It wasn't you was it?"

Takato blushed and took a step back "not me. Word on the street was…"

Rika cupped her hands over his mouth and Takato was silenced as the redhead told Renamon, "he has no idea. Now what's in the bags, Takato?"

Takato removed the hand "a nice treat for you two. They're creampuffs fresh from my family's bakery. I made them myself. I figured that was a decent treat."

"So you're trying to poison us," she mused.

Takato objected, "I seem to recall you liked my bread back when the D-reaper attacked."

Rika did vaguely remember back when they all cooked in Takato's bakery. She opened a bag to find it stuffed with creampuffs.

Rika put on her offended face, though she was secretly happy "That's a lot of creampuffs. You trying to make me lose my girlish figure? Trying to make me fat so I get sluggish so you and dino boy can become top Tamer?"

Takato laughed nervously; defending himself "well I made extra since Guilmon was in charge of carrying them."

Guilmon piped in, "yeah and I only ate a couple. I guess he thought I'd eat more than that so I can still eat more if you like."

Rika couldn't help but smile at the goofy dinosaur, "I was just joking. Like I care."

She handed him one and the crème inside exploded onto the dinosaur after one bite. Renamon even had to work to control herself to avoid laughing at the gluttonous red Digimon.

Renamon sat on the floor next to the Digimon and pulled one of the treats from the bag. In dainty little bites she tested the creampuff and turned to Takato "thank you, boys. They're delicious. Certainly not poison, Rika. Try one."

Rika pulled a creampuff out of the bag and bit in. The contents fell out the back and all over Rika's painting overalls. Now covered in paint and crème and with her face as red as Guilmon's, Rika waited for the others to start laughing. None of them did.

Takato handed her one of the unused painting towels "they can get messy sometimes."

Rika wiped herself off and handed the towel off to Guilmon.

Guilmon looked at it "what's this for?"

Rika finally bust out laughing "your face is covered in creampuff, you dummy."

Guilmon stuck his long tongue out and proceeded to lick the mess off himself "see. All better now."

Rika had never seen anything so disgusting and yet so funny in all her life. She simply left the room to go change into better clothes. She tried not to burst out laughing before she was out of earshot.

As soon as Rika left Renamon turned to Takato "so which boy asked Rika to the dance?"

Takato was surprised that Renamon would be so mischievous "I don't think Rika wants me to tell you."

The Digimon stood to her full height. Her eyes narrowed to deadly slits and she glared, "let's be honest. Who are you really more afraid of?"

Takato backed as far away as he could. He was strangely not sure himself of who scared him more.

* * *

><p>Rika came back into Renamon's room in new clothes and noticed that Takato and Guilmon were gone "where'd the boys go?"<p>

Renamon sat eating a second creampuff "they said they had other things that came up. So Ryo asked you out to the dance?"

Rika was shocked Takato had blabbed on her. She was going to kill him next time she saw him. She tried to remain calm, but she and Renamon had known each other for far too long. They couldn't lie to each other even in looks.

Rika confessed "Yeah, he did. But like I told you I shot him down."

Renamon simply responded, "Too bad for him."

Rika sat next to her friend "damn right."

Renamon tilted her head toward Rika "I didn't know you cursed."

"Yeah, well things change."

"I'm surprised Ryo mustered the courage to ask you out."

"Yeah. He can take on mega level Digimon, but one girl scares him. And that girl is me," Rika said proudly.

"I don't think you scare him. You seem to scare Takato though."

"That's me alright; scary to the core. Wait what did he say?"

"Nothing at first, which is why I know he either really respects you or is really afraid of you. Probably a mixture of the two."

"What did you do?"

"Nothing. I just put on my angry face and the answers seem to spill out."

"That was mean."

"I know."

"He brought you creampuffs. They brought you a plant."

"I know and right now I am enjoying them both immensely."

"Let's go."

"Where are we going?"

"WE are going to catch up to those two so that YOU can apologize. I can't believe we now have to go apologize to Goggle-head because you need to stick your nose into my business."

"I was curious."

"We still have to go."

"As you wish," Renamon agreed as they walked towards the door.

With that the two were gone. Going after Goggle-head so Renamon can apologize; what a lame errand.


	5. Chapter Five: The Biker

_Disclaimer: This work is for purely entertainment purposes and is not for profit. I do not own Digimon or any characters previously seen in Digimon. If anyone who does own Digimon sees this I am more than willing to help with the next season. Enjoy._

**Chapter Five: The Biker**

Takato and Guilmon were walking home; cutting through the park. People had started to recognize the Digimon and his Tamer as two of the heroes who had helped fight to save the world. Takato tried to ignore the stares.

Guilmon was less subtle "Takato, why is everyone looking at us?"

Takato thought for a moment about how to explain it, "We kinda became celebrities after you guys left. Saving the world will do that to a person's status."

Guilmon pulled on Takato's sleeve "What does 'celebrities' mean?"

That was harder for Takato to explain, "It means. Um it means that because of the things you've done or the person you are a lot of people like you even though they don't really know you."

Guilmon smiled "That's silly. They should just get to know us and then we can all like each other."

Takato was surprised by the nuggets of wisdom that his Digimon occasionally spit out "Yeah, you're right, boy. It is silly."

The little red dinosaur spun around and in a friendly tone waved and called to the onlookers, "If you want we can all play and be good friends. I like bread and if you tell me what you like I'll try and get it for you."

The Tamer spun his Digimon around "Guilmon, don't talk to strangers."

The dinosaur protested, "But if I don't talk to strangers how will I ever make new friends?"

Takato wasn't sure how to respond to this. Somehow his Digimon had outwitted him. He sat down on one of the park swings to collect his thoughts. He was sitting there when suddenly a voice caught his attention.

"Takato, what's going on?" It was Jeri. She was holding Calumon.

Takato offered Jeri the swing next to him while the white Digimon and Calumon played "Hi Jeri. How is everything going?"

Jeri smiled that familiar smile that could light up the room, "I'm just peachy, Takato. Me and Calumon have been having lots of fun."

Takato smiled "That's good. Hey did you hear that Renamon got her own room at Rika's?"

"No. That's awfully nice of Rika."

"Yeah I know. I brought Renamon over a Peace Lily."

"That's nice of you Takato."

"Yeah, I think she liked Rika's creampuffs more."

"It was still a nice gift."

Takato appreciated her saying so "Thanks, Jeri."

Takato saw a flash going on behind him and he turned around. Multiple cameras were flashing at the pair on the swings and the two Digimon next to them, "great. The paparazzi is here. I swear I'm gonna have to get Guilmon's box back just to keep him hidden."

Jeri laughed, "yeah. At least Calumon's small. Poor Guilmon is almost as big as you."

Takato watched his Digimon interact with Calumon with an enormous level of pride beaming through him, "I'm just glad that they're back."

From somewhere behind them a young girl spoke, "We all are."

Takato and Jeri turned around. Rika and Renamon had somehow broke through the crowd of paparazzi and snuck up behind them. Takato looked at the tall yellow fox and the tough red headed girl and felt a wave of concern wash over him.

Renamon stepped forward "I'm sorry for threatening you, Takato. It was a mistake and I'm sorry. Thank you for your kindness and for being a good friend to Rika and myself."

Takato was taken completely off guard. He wasn't expecting an apology.

Jeri cut in, "Why would you threaten Takato?"

The fox focused on brown haired girl "Rika had a date. She wasn't telling me so I had to find a different source."

Rika stopped her Digimon there "It was not a date! It was a dance at a school that I said no to. It wasn't even my school!"

Renamon crossed her arms and turned her back to her Tamer "I still wish you would have told me."

Rika was becoming very upset with her Digimon.

Jeri sensed trouble and picked up Calumon "I've got other things to do, but I'll call you later, Takato. Tell me how it goes."

* * *

><p>The flashing of the cameras was starting to get annoying to the leader of the Tamers. He looked away as best he could "Guys, can we discuss this elsewhere?"<p>

Renamon nodded "certainly."

Takato felt the one powerful arm wrap around his waist. Rika was right next to him. In a flash they were transported by the yellow fox to a rooftop a small ways away.

Guilmon looked confused for a second "Takato? Where'd you go?"

Renamon shot back down, scooped him up, and then vanished back up to the rooftop. Takato breathed a sigh of relief as the calm of the rooftop helped him get a grip.

Rika grabbed him by the shirt collar quite unexpectedly "I can't believe you told Renamon about that stupid stunt Ryo pulled."

Takato broke away "she asked who I was more afraid of. In my defense she looked really scary at the time."

Rika growled "you thought she was more terrifying than me?"

Guilmon cut in "Well Renamon does have powers that humans don't."

Rika glared at the red Digimon, silencing him, and then turned back to Takato "I have powers too, you know. Magical powers. I have the power to cripple you in three seconds flat!"

Takato back away but found he had nowhere to go "I'm sorry, Rika. I didn't say anything for a really long time, but she forced me to. She's very persuasive."

Rika backed away. Her anger subsided "Let's just not talk about this anymore, alright?"

Takato nodded "so you never said what else you wanted for bringing back Guilmon and the others. There's the sweets, but what else do you want?"

Rika sat down on the edge of the roof "I don't know. Unending worship is nice. Maybe just a really nice birthday gift."

Takato perked up "When is that?"

"A few weeks from now," she said absentmindedly.

Takato folded his arms "Do the others know your birthday is coming up?"

Rika looked away.

Guilmon tilted his head innocently "so that's a big 'no'."

Rika turned to the dinosaur "I don't want the others to know. My birthday is no big deal and I don't want the others making it into one."

Renamon took a step forward "It's important to us, Rika."

The young girl looked around. Takato and Guilmon nodded their agreement.

Rika saw that they cared, but she didn't "Thanks you guys, but I don't want it to be a big deal."

* * *

><p>Takato was about to say something when the roar of an engine and the scream of some woman brought them out of their conversation. Down below a motorcycle just turned the corner and went out of sight as the four looked over the edge.<p>

Takato yelled down to several people down below, "What happened?"

A man called back up, "some crazy biker nearly ran a woman over down here!"

Takato started going down a fire escape to reach street level with Guilmon right behind him "Come on boy. He may not be a Digimon, but we can still stop him from hurting anybody."

Rika told Renamon, "I'm going with Takato. You follow him along the rooftops and tell us which way he's heading. We'll try and cut him off."

Renamon leapt from rooftop to rooftop after the rumble of the biker's engine. Rika ran to catch up to Takato and Guilmon. The three ran from street to street as quickly as they could. Unlike most Tamers Rika and Renamon could occasionally share a telepathic link. It was coming in handy now.

Rika maintained her mental connection with Renamon, "_which way?_"

The fox whispered back from far away, "_Take a right and go up two streets. I'll slow him down as best I can._"

Rika took the lead as the teenage boy and his red Digimon forced themselves to run faster to keep up. Takato was in good shape, but Rika had taken up track in school and so her stamina and physique were more suited for this kind of task.

As the redhead crossed the fifth city block she thought back to Renamon, "_Where's he at now?" _

The fox came back, "_He'll be coming up on your left in about ten seconds_."

Rika turned her head and sure enough the biker rounded the corner at an insane speed. Renamon was nowhere in sight. She looked behind her. Takato and his pet Digimon were still a block behind her.

She sighed, "_If you want something done right you gotta do it yourself."_

Renamon came back "_Rika, don't do anything stupid."_

Rika severed the mental connection. All wise thought had left her mind. She stepped out in the center of the one lane road and tried to spread her arms as far as she could to get the biker to stop. The biker either didn't seem to notice or didn't care. He simply kept coming in the same reckless speed. Rika realized too late that she had made the wrong call. The girl shielded her face as the bike came screaming right for her. A heavy thud slammed into her from the side and the teenage girl felt the breeze of the bike going past moments before she slammed into the hard pavement.

Rika rolled over, dazed, but alive, "Renamon?"

The fox materialized next to the girl "I'm sorry, Rika. I wasn't quick enough."

The redhead turned to her side "Then who…?"

Takato rolled off of Rika's legs and pushed himself off of the ground. Together he and the yellow Digimon helped the young girl up.

The teenage boy rubbed his pained neck "This high impact stuff is starting to wear on us. Don't you agree?"

The young girl just stood dazed by how close to death she had been. From behind the group they head the sarcastic slow clap of applause. The lone bike clad in black had stopped not far from the group and dismounted. With a stifled chuckle he lifted the visor to his helmet. Underneath were a pair of shining blue eyes.

The man continued to clap as he approached "Very good. I knew you were one hell of a team, but I didn't think you'd be as efficient and as daring as this. Seriously though, who tries to block a speeding bike with their body?"

Guilmon growled, "You could have really hurt somebody, Mister!"

The man took off his helmet revealing the pitch black hair and the wicked smile, "Sorry, but it's this bike. You get on it and just feel the need to run people over. Don't get so bent out of shape about it. You're talking about that old lady? Nobody was ever in any real danger. Nobody important anyway."

Renamon bristled with anger, "That's enough!"

She hated the lack of remorse in the voice of the man. The yellow fox, now filled with rage, leapt from the ground and did a diving kick for the biker.

"Power paw," she screamed, and her hands and feet began to glow a bluish hue.

The jump kick would have been devastating had it landed. Instead the biker did something impressive and Herculean in effort. He caught the kick in midair with his right hand and held her there for a moment until the blue flame went out. He tilted his head without ever losing the same cocky smile. In one quick movement he tossed Renamon slamming her into a nearby wall with some force. Guilmon's eyes dilated as the virus type inside of him boiled to the surface and anger took control. He rushed the man who dared to attack his friends. The powerful jaws came clamping down hard on the man's right arm and the Digimon began to snarl as the sharp fangs tore through the leather jacket and into the bikers arm.

The biker shook the arm for a second in panic "Let go of my arm!"

He then kicked the digimon as hard as he could in the chest. Guilmon let go in response to the attack. The angry biker thumped the Digimon in the head with a powerful right hook followed by a left. When the Digimon fell to its knees the man kicked it hard in the stomach so hard that it fell over.

* * *

><p>Takato pulled out his Digivice, "This guy's dangerous, Rika. He took both of them. He can't be human. Gotta be a Digimon in disguise."<p>

Rika stopped Takato for a second, "I think I know him."

She stared into the blue hate filled eyes as they turned towards her "Adman? That's your name, right?"

The man pulled a sword from the bike, unsheathed it, and pointed at the two children "put down the Digivices. And I thought we had an arrangement, Miss Nonaka?"

Takato looked at Rika in surprise "You know this guy?" He shook himself and glared back at Adman, resolute in his decision "Well he has to be stopped. They need to Digivolve."

The man brought his sword closer to Takato "wrong choice, Mister Matsuki."

Renamon had a hard time recovering from the hit. She saw the blade aimed at her Tamer and flew into a frenzy. She leapt at Adman's unprotected back. She was taken completely off guard as several metal sharp points sprouted out of the jacket of the biker. They shot out like they had a mind of their own. Six thick metal spikes attached to metallic cables seemed to slide from the back of Adman Hows and slammed the yellow fox back into the same wall. One dug deep into her wrist, impaling her paw. She screamed out in pain. Rika couldn't believe what she saw. Six metal coils moved like serpents pinning her partner to a wall. Then something stepped out from the back of the jacket. A black Renamon materialize from the man himself. The six cords were attached to metal shoulder armor on the creature. It was a Digimon. Black as night and filled with rage the creature seemed to enjoy Renamon's suffering. It walked closer to her and seemed to laugh a dark, evil laugh. As it got closer the black fox showed its teeth, yellow fangs inside a dark mouth. This was a Digimon of absolute evil.

Adman turned around and saw his dark Digimon torturing the poor Renamon. He slammed his blade deep into the pavement where it shook, standing straight up. He brought out his Digivice, "Shadowmon, let her go!"

The voice was dark and commanding. This was a darker Adman than Rika had met at the airport. Everything just seemed so awful.

Shadowmon looked over its shoulder at the Tamer that commanded it. A single word dripped deadly out of its lips, "No."

Adman's shoulders tightened at this. He squeezed his black Digivice and a silver beam of light slither out of it, dropping lazily to the ground. He glared at his Digimon, "I'll only ask one more time. Let her GO!"

The dark Digimon looked back at his prey and then at his Tamer, "But they attacked you. I should punish them."

With that the dark Tamer moved his Digivice and the light crackled against the back of his Digimon like a whip and the Digimon fell to its knees in pain. The long metallic coils seemed to until there were only six spikes showing on the shoulders of the beast.

Adman whipped it again and it fell to the ground in pain "I make the orders. You do not PUNISH or HARM or do ANYTHING unless I say so! And how dare you say no to me!"

With each harsh word the Tamer whipped his Digimon again and again as the fearsome black fox curled into a ball and tried to protect itself from the abuse. Finally the whip disappeared. The Tamer pocketed his Digivice and Shadowmon stood up.

With one final insult the dark Tamer backhanded his Digimon, "Remember who's in charge here."

The Digimon growled a fearsome growl, like that of a wild animal. It bared its teeth at its own Tamer.

The dark Tamer gripped the Digimon firmly around the neck, "Remember who made you what you are today."

The Digimon seemed to calm a little at that. It nodded its head, "I will never forget."

The Tamer patted his Digimon's head like a dog, "good boy. Now, re-assimilate and stay that way until I say so."

The Digimon seemed to fall down into the ground itself, melting into its own shadow. Then the creature was gone. Renamon squeezed her paw, trying to hold the wound shut.

The dark Tamer walked over to her "Let me see it."

Renamon refused and he pulled the hand away cruelly. After a brief inspection he released her wounded arm "It'll heal. Just don't power paw anyone for a day or two."

With that Adman turned to the other two Tamers. There was Takato with Adman's sword pointed at him.

Adman stopped for only a second. He tilted his head and smiled disarmingly, "Now do you even know how to use one of those? It doesn't look like it. Your arm is shaking just from holding it. Here, let me help you."

The dark Tamer wrapped his right hand around the tip of the blade, steadying it. Takato watched as the hand slowly followed the length of the blade down to the beautiful cross hilt.

The blade bit through Adman's black glove and blood slowly poured from his right hand as he gripped the cross hilt, "you aren't ready to take a life. Not yet. Consider yourself blessed. You're too young to have those kinds of things hanging over your head."

With that Adman yanked the blade from Takato's hand and sheathed it in the scabbard on the motorcycle, "Both your Digimon will be fine if given time to heal. I didn't thrash them too badly, although they did attack me first. No hard feelings, I hope."

Takato slumped to a sitting position, exhausted by what had just occurred.

Rika stepped forward, "why are you doing all this?"

Adman slipped his helmet back over his head, ignoring her question, "you were never in any real danger. You never will be when I'm around. Hard times are to come and I need to make sure you and your friends are up to the task. What lies ahead probably won't be easy. I'll watch over you all as best I can because I need you alive, but I'll try and let you have your childhoods to yourselves. You deserve that. However I do hope you remember my voice and remember my face. I will come for all of you when the time is right. It just might take me a while."

With that cryptic message the dark Tamer shut the visor to his helmet and got back on the bike. In seconds he was gone leaving Rika and Takato to help their wounded Digimon and stew over their encounter with the strange man and his vicious black Digimon. Maybe Takato should have gone with his first instinct and Digivolved them. Takato got up off the ground and started to walk away when he noticed something strange on the ground next to him. It was something dark and wet. For a second he had trouble identifying it and he had an even harder time believing it. There where the man had been standing with his bloody hand was a thick pool of black. It was wet and sickly like a lump of oil. Takato tried forcefully to push his first thought out of his head, but couldn't. '_It can't be. It can't be his blood. He bleeds black blood?'_


	6. Chapter Six: Decisions

_Disclaimer: This work is for purely entertainment purposes and is not for profit. I do not own Digimon or any characters previously seen in Digimon. If anyone who does own Digimon sees this I am more than willing to help with the next season. Enjoy._

**Chapter Six: Decisions**

Takato, Rika and Henry sat in Rika's room with their respective Digimon and a giant white dry erase board. They were debating on what to do about this new Tamer.

Takato took the red marker from Henry and tapped it on the white board "Rika, what's this guy's name?"

Rika sat silent for a moment. Her growing hatred for Adman Hows was coming into conflict with the promise she had made. Her integrity was fighting her basic instinct to kick ass.

Renamon solved her dilemma by saying, "Adman Hows. That's what he calls himself, though I don't know if it's his real name."

Takato scribbled the name onto the white board. Rika shot a look at Renamon.

The yellow fox exposed her wounded arm "They could have killed you, Rika. The deal is off."

Takato spun around "That guy did mention a deal. What did you agree to, Rika?" He was worried for her.

Rika admitted "Adman was the one who brought our Digimon back."

Henry cut in, "How? And why didn't you tell us?"

Rika stood up "I don't know how. He made me promise I wouldn't say anything. That was the price for bringing the Digimon back."

Takato scribbled down what Rika said onto the board and then tossed the pen back to Henry "So what else do we know?"

Renamon added in, "He's a Tamer. His Digimon is called Shadowmon, I think."

Henry scribbled Shadowmon under Adman's name.

Takato thought for a moment "He's stronger than most humans. How else could some guy take on two Digimon at once?"

Henry wrote down 'strong' before turning to the group in the room "What's this guy look like? Do we know how old he is?"

Takato started in "He wore black. In fact when the sword cut into his arm he actually bled black.

Henry looked at Takato confused before writing down 'wears black'.

Rika looked away, but added in, "He has sky blue eyes."

Both boys looked at her surprised. Rika normally didn't pay that much attention to details like that.

She saw their judgmental looks and became angry and defensive, "Hey I wasn't sure if I'd ever have to describe him to you guys! Or even the cops. He was so weird I tried to remember every little detail. Anyway he seems to be just a little bit older than us."

Henry scribbled down '14-17'.

Rika added in, "He's extremely well-funded. When I met him he sent a limo for me. He had a private jet, but it blew up at the airport."

Henry added, "I heard something about that in the news. So this guy is loaded."

Takato laughed, "Great. A 14 to 17 year old millionaire with a strong love of black named Adman Hows. This shouldn't be too hard. Even if some of our facts are wrong we should be able to find out who this guy is."

Rika scoffed, "We shouldn't try and find him."

Everyone in the room whipped their heads in her directions.

Renamon approached her Tamer "Rika, why?"

Rika thought for a moment "Because he said he'd leave us alone. He's kept his word on everything up to this point. Besides we promised not to even talk about him. Trying to find him goes against the deal."

Everyone was silent for a moment.

Then Takato spoke in his understanding voice, "You're right Rika. You and the others shouldn't look for him. You made a promise. It would be wrong of me to ask you to break it, but I didn't agree to anything. He hurt Guilmon. I can't risk him coming back and catching us off guard again. So I'm going to look for him. The rest of you can try and forget about this."

Henry knew Takato was slightly foolhardy so he tried to be the voice of reason, "Let's slow down for just a second. Why aren't we just calling the cops on this matter? He threatened and attacked you guys. I'd say that's grounds for an arrest."

Rika objected vehemently, "He's a Tamer. He's one of us. If he does become a problem then we should be the ones to bring him down."

Takato nodded "I somewhat agree with you Rika, but there is a problem there. We've never fought a human before; at least not to this level. What are you actually suggesting? That we kill him? I can't do that."

Rika put her foot down "I don't intend to kill him, but me and Renamon will stomp him into dust if he crosses our path again. That's my plan. We don't look for him, but we sure give him what he deserves if he shows up. We'll show him he can't mess with the Tamers of Shinjuku."

Henry replied, "That doesn't sound like much of a plan, Rika."

Terriermon hung from Henry's shoulder with one long ear and added in, "Does anything ever go according to plan anyway. I say why worry about a plan. Let's just momentai and see what happens."

So they left Rika's house with the strong effort to forget their encounter with the man in black, but Takato would not forget and would not stop looking. Rika cleared the whiteboard and that was the end of Mr. Adman How. At least that's what Rika hoped. If only it were so easy to erase all life's unpleasantness.

* * *

><p>A motorcycle drove through urban streets as the sun was just rising on the next day. Adman pulled up behind Ai and Mako's house and turned off the motorcycle. He set his helmet down on the bike and put his black sunglasses back on. A strong hand gripped his shoulder hard and Adman darted away in a roll, pulling out his handgun in fear. There was Beelzemon standing next to his bike.<p>

The mega level demon chuckled, "we've got to stop meetin' like this."

Adman holstered his weapon and relaxed "At least I was the quicker draw this time. Sorry it took me so long, but I brought your bike back."

Beelzemon inspected his bike "Having some joyridin' time?"

The young man nodded "Yeah, but I assure you it's in exactly the same condition that I borrowed it in. You don't know how hard it is to get off the thing. I mean I could just ride for days on that. Makes you kind of homicidal though. I was, unfortunately, a little devilish."

Beelzemon explained, "The fact you can get off on your own at all is surprisin'. I thought I'd have ta hunt you down and knock ya off."

Beelzemon finished the inspection and then began to glow. The tall Digimon shrunk to about a foot tall. When the lights dimmed he was the little purple imp with the red bandana. Beelzemon had de-Digivolved to Impmon.

He walked back into his yard through a gate "Sorry about scaring you, but I wasn't sure who'd be coming around at this late hour. Have to protect the kids, you know?"

The Tamer in black simply mumbled a, "Always."

Impmon went into his house and the man in black stood at the gate.

The Digimon noticed he was no longer being followed and called back "Wanna come in for a drink or something?"

The Tamer shook his head no, "I can't stay. I'm afraid I have other places I need to be. You'll look after everyone, won't you?"

The little imp nodded a yes. With that the man turned to leave.

Impmon stopped him "Hey." The words didn't come easy to the little guy, but he tried, "I don't know you too well, but I can see you got problems with your conscience. I understand it ain't easy making wrongs right, but you need to keep trying. And, well, if you ever need to talk to someone about these problems you have just let me know. You should look up Jeri. She's good at helping with stuff like that."

The man looked away for just a second, somehow sadness crept into him for just a moment "Why are you doing this for me?"

The Digimon acted surprised "I don't really know why. I guess I just know what it's like to feel like you're worse than the scum on somebody's shoe. It sucks, but at the same time you feel you deserve it. I don't know, maybe ya do. I just want to say good luck."

The young Adman Hows turned to the little Digimon "Thanks for that. Maybe I will take you up on that drink."

The little Digimon smiled "Really? Well come on in!"

The man shook his head and walked away "Another time. Goodbye, my little purple friend."

The dark Tamer picked his sword and helmet off the bike and began to walk down the alley to some unknown destination.

* * *

><p>Hours before Adman delivered Beelzemon his bike Takato's day was just coming to an end. Takato Matsuki was resting in his bedroom after their meeting at Rika's. Guilmon was lying next to him nursing his hurt ribs.<p>

Takato patted the dinosaurs head "I'm sorry, boy. Some welcome home party. Your first day back and you get your butt kicked."

Guilmon tilted his head to look at his Tamer "It's not that bad. Besides I'm just glad that after a tough fight I can come back here and sleep in your bed for a while."

Takato rubbed his friends belly gently "Take as long as you need to heal. I'll go get you some food. You just relax."

The dinosaur grinned at the promise of food "And peanut butter?"

Takato nodded a yes "And peanut butter."

Guilmon tried to do some sort of happy movement on the bed, but found the wounds too tender still. Takato walked down the stairs from his room down to the main bakery area. The shop phone rang and Takato picked it up.

It was after hours and the bakery was closed, but Takato still answered the phone with the professional, "Matsuki Bakery, this is Takato speaking. How may I help you?"

From the other end a cheery girl's voice said, "Hi Takato, this is Jeri."

Takato perked up. Jeri always put him, and everyone for that matter, in a better mood "Oh hi Jeri. It's good to hear from you. Sorry about today in the park."

"Oh don't worry. You guys draw crowds even on a good news day. Now that you have your Digimon back it's bound to only get worse. That's what happens when you become heroes."

Takato blushed at her calling him a hero "Its not been easy to get used to. So can I make it up to you somehow? I know I still owe Rika, but that's no excuse for you being pushed out mid conversation. I know I can find somewhere in this whole city where the paparazzi can't bother us."

Jeri smiled wide "That sounds nice, Takato. So where do you plan to take me?"

Takato thought hard. After drawing a blank he just asked, "Where do you want to go?"

Jeri sighed at Takato's uncreative nature "I don't know. We could find some peace and quiet in a dark movie theatre or maybe go get some noodles." Suddenly an idea hit her, "You know I just realized I've never seen your room before. Can I come by the bakery tomorrow and see the rest of your house?"

Takato laughed nervously as he remembered his pigsty of a room, "That all sounds great Jeri. Let's do it."

Jeri asked curiously, "Which one?"

"All of them."

Jeri could barely contain her excitement, "Oh Takato that sounds wonderful. When?"

"Whenever you come over tomorrow. Let's just be completely spontaneous. Whatever movie is playing at the time we'll go see and whatever noodle shop we see first we'll go in. Then you can come by my place, hang out, and I'll walk you home."

With plans set Takato and Jeri hung up the phone. Takato was amazed to see it was actually one in the morning. With that he grabbed a handful of day old bread for Guilmon and ran back upstairs. The red Digimon had fallen asleep waiting for his Tamer to return and Takato was okay with that. In spite of everything that could go wrong for once everything seemed to be going his way.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> Anyone who knows me knows I hate author's notes, but I felt this instance called for one. I'd like to apologize for the lateness of this chapter. I typically like to post just a few minutes into the day they're promised to be due, but last night got away from me. I'm still technically on schedule, but I didn't want to edit this unless I was in the right mindset. On that note Happy New Year. Year of the dragon here we come! I'd also like to thank the people that review and I'd very much like to thank the people out there that read my story on a regular basis. I feel that this weekend's set was far superior to the last set and I only hope for improvements. If you've reviewed but I haven't responded yet I promise I will. Things have gotten a little backed up, but I respond to every review or private message. Please review and tell me what you think.


	7. Chapter Seven: Parents

_Disclaimer: This work is for purely entertainment purposes and is not for profit. I do not own Digimon or any characters previously seen in Digimon. If anyone who does own Digimon sees this I am more than willing to help with the next season. Enjoy._

**Chapter Seven: Parents**

Takato was up at six A.M. after not enough sleep. He wasn't up that early because he wanted to be, but he had promised to take Jeri out on a night on the town. That meant money he didn't have and so he had to get up before the store opened and sweet talk his father into a loan.

So Takato moved heavy boxes of ingredients and put on those embarrassing hair nets while helping his dad make dough as he built up the courage to ask his dad for a sizeable amount of money "um dad?"

"Yes Takato," his father answered while entirely distracted by the mixing.

"Um, could I ask a favor out of you?"

Takato's father was a skinny man with a big heart and a strong relationship with his son. He trusted Takato on most things and tried to help his son out where he could. That didn't mean that he was against giving his boy a hard time though.

"So that's why you're being so helpful this morning. What do you need, son?"

Takato took a deep breath and exhaled "Well I need an advance on my allowance."

The baker took his hands out of the dough and began washing them off in a sink nearby "Seems fair. How much do you need?"

Takato hadn't anticipated this. He had worried so much about his dad saying no that he hadn't thought about how much tickets, snacks, noodles, and everything else that the night entailed would cost.

Takato quickly did some math in his head and then blurted out a number he completely pulled out of his ass "About a hundred?"

His father pulled his wallet out and then thumbed through the bills "That's a mighty steep number to come at me out of the blue, Takato. You know I'm a humble baker."

Takato sighed, "Yeah I know, dad. I just need some quick cash fast. I know it's sudden, but how often do I ask for stuff like this?"

His father thought about this for a moment, his hand on his chin "That's true. Now I'm willing to give you the thirty we pay you each month for allowance in advance. The other seventy you'll have to haggle with me about. I need a good story. Some reason why my boy needs a huge amount of money right this moment. You haven't gotten into drugs have you?"

From somewhere in a back room Takato's mother called out, "I didn't hear the word 'drugs' uttered in my house did I?"

Takato started to stare perplexed and ask, "But how..?"

His father interrupted, "It's a mom super power. You see parents ears are attuned to certain words or phrases. You will never guess which words I'm attuned to."

Takato shook his head, not wanting to follow up that train of thought "So anyway, I was on the phone with Jeri last night and we decided to go see a movie and get some noodles. I just need the money so we can do everything I promised I'd do for her."

Takato's dad handed Takato the thirty for the advance "So how do I know Jeri?"

Takato recalled all the ways his father might know Jeri, "She's a regular customer here. She loves our creampuffs. I've known her for years now. She was one of the people that went with us to the Digital World. She was the one we rescued from the D-reaper."

Takato's father smiled and walked over to a framed picture on the wall. He lifted the photo off revealing a wall safe. The baker began entering the combination "So you're taking the girl you rescued out to a movie and then dinner?"

Takato interrupted, "And maybe back here afterwards if it's okay with you."

Takato's dad opened the safe and pulled out a single bill "Here's a hundred, Takato. With the thirty you already have that should cover any expenses that might surprise you. You were right to give me a bigger number than you actually need. You never know when some giant stuffed animal catches her attention."

Takato's mother walked in and noticed her son with the huge bill in his hand "Gee why is Takato loaded all the sudden? Did I finally forget his birthday?"

Takato's father put his arm around her and gave her a look of pride "No, dear. We aren't that senile yet. Our boy Takato has a date this evening."

Takato objected, "It's not actually a date."

His mother tilted her head and she got a devilish look in her eye. She tried to act innocent "Really? Well then if you don't have a date this evening then you won't need all this money. Your father and I will go out for a night on the town and you can mind the store while we're gone. I think he's old enough, don't you dear?" She asked her husband while tugging gently on Takato's hundred.

Takato quickly pulled it away "Ok it might be a date! Just let me have the money, please."

His mother squeezed his father in joy, "oh my little boy is becoming a man! So, Takehiro, who's the lucky lady?"

Takehiro responded, "Jeri. That girl he saved a while back."

Takato's mother giggled with the idea of gossip "Oh I knew it! Tell me the story again about how you flung yourself deep into the D-reaper just to save her. I do love that story."

Takato was now securely blushing "Mom, we aren't like that! She's just a friend. Besides you're starting to creep me out."

His mother didn't seem to hear "So will we get to talk to Jeri before the date? I want to give her the whole protective mother routine."

Takehiro added, "They'll be plenty of time for that later on tonight. He's bringing her home afterward." His father finished the sentence with raised eyebrows.

Takato's mother became paranoid "She's not staying here is she? I won't allow that. My son will not ruin his future by having a bunch of one night stands."

Takato was absolutely red by this time "Mom, I just want to show her my room. She's never seen it before."

Takato's father stepped in to help his son out "Now honey, this is only his first date. Hopefully this girl isn't like that. Come to think of it I've met her before and she seems like a very nice girl. Now our son is smart enough not to do anything stupid. He'll have a good time and we'll hear about it in the morning."

Takato's mother walked away; still gripped with paranoia over her only son "That's what I'm worried about; him having a good night. I'm old, but I'm still too young to be a grandma. I know how these teenagers are. Remember how we were when we were young?"

She trailed off as she left the room and Takato tried forcefully to block the entire conversation from his mind.

* * *

><p>Takehiro gently gripped his son by the neck and took him out back so the two could talk in private "Don't worry. I don't think she can hear us out here. Now son, you know I can't give you a huge loan like this all the time, right?"<p>

Takato nodded "Yeah."

Takehiro smiled "Good boy. Now here's what you have to do. Where are you going first?"

Takato thought for a moment "The theatre."

"And what are you going to see?"

"Whatever is playing when we get there."

"And if there are two movies playing?"

"Then whatever she wants to see."

Takato's father patted his son on the back "That's my boy. You see the date is all about the girl. I know you'll probably end up seeing a really girly movie. That's ok. They aren't too fun for us, but they make the girl think about relationships and she's going to plaster whoever she's with at the time into the male role of the movie. That means you. You see it's all very subliminal. Just try and act the best you can and you'll do fine."

Takato was utterly confused "…Um thanks, dad."

"Now what comes next?"

Takato quickly answered, "Noodles! We are going to get noodles at some noodle shop."

"Dinner. Great. Which shop?"

"I don't know. We decided whichever one we come across first."

Takato's father waved his hand in the no good sign "That won't work. You need to make reservations at some place. Do you know why that is, son?"

Takato was getting sick of his dad's coaching, but he went along with it "No, why?"

"Two reasons. One: it makes it seem like you're prepared and two: that way they can call out 'Matsuki: party of two.' you see SHE'S part of YOUR party. She's with YOU. None of this will sink in right away, but trust me, it works."

"But we decided to be spontaneous today. It won't seem very spontaneous if I have reservations."

Takato's father thought about his sons plan for a moment "That's actually a really good idea. Skip the reservations for now, but in the future it's a thing to keep in mind. Now during dinner don't slurp or chew with your mouth open. Only eat as fast as she does. Don't spill anything on yourself and during dinner is a good time to compliment her on her looks and such. Got all that?"

Takato scratched his head "Yeah, I think so."

His father continued, "Now next you're coming here right?"

"Yeah."

"I'll try and keep your mother out of the way as best I can, but no promises. If that happens just let the women talk. We can't win in that situation. Oh and clean your room. Don't have anything lying that you wouldn't want her to see. Oh and how are you taking her home?"

Takato thought for a moment "I was going to walk her home, but I'm guessing that's wrong. Right?"

His father simply nodded "That's right. Now what do you think is the right way?"

Takato thumped his head; hoping for an idea that would please his father. Then it came to him "Take a taxi!"

His father slapped him on the back "You've learned well. Now only do that if you have enough money. Fifty or sixty should be a really safe bet. Don't take it home though. I'm not made of money."

Takato was pleased with himself for finally getting one right.

His father continued, "I know this is a lot to take in in one dose, but first dates are important. Other than that be a gentleman. You'll do fine."

Takato exhale, happy to be free of his father's lesson "Thanks, dad."

Takehiro brought Takato in for a hug and brought the boy close. He looked left and right for anyone nearby and then whispered into Takato's ear in the most serious voice he could muster, "Now I know you're still young and this is only a first date, but if things start getting heated I want you to know three things. One is it's okay to say no."

Takato pulled away, his face beet red, "Dad! That's gross."

Takehiro continued in a whispered tone, "It doesn't make you less of a man to say no to a woman. Two is if you do something stupid remember to do it smart and use protection. I think you have enough to buy some if you need them."

Takato screamed as he tried to ignore what his father was saying about the birds and the bees, "DAAAAAAAAAAD!"

Finally when Takato had stopped flipping out his father leaned against the wall of his shop "Are you ready for the third thing, son?"

Takato was breathing heavily, trying to recover from his outburst "I don't… I don't think I'll ever be ready for it, but I know you're going to tell me so go ahead."

His father smiled and, while he was no longer whispering, the serious manner remained "The third thing to remember in that situation is the most important one of all. Listen carefully as this one can be the difference between life and death."

Takato was listening intently.

Takehiro's seriousness left and the joker reasserted itself "Never ever ever, under any circumstance, bring her, or any girl, here for that. I can help you in a great many things and I will always try to, but if your mother catches you, or even thinks she hears you, doing something like that then I can't save you or that poor girl from her. I will bring flowers to your graves every year though."

Takato watched his father go inside as the horrors of the strange conversation he had had sunk in. This was not how he wanted to prep for taking Jeri out that night. He went inside, climbed the stairs to his room, and fell down into bed with Guilmon. His mind gave in to sleep as he consciously tried to erase the whole freaky insane morning from his mind. At least he had the money.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>: The actual conversion for U.S. currency states that 100 U.S. dollars is roughly equivalent to 7721 Japanese yen. I felt the story flowed better and would read easier for different cultures if I stuck with the U.S. dollar system. Feel free to convert on your own if you're so inclined.


	8. Chapter Eight: Jeri's Night

_Disclaimer: This work is for purely entertainment purposes and is not for profit. I do not own Digimon or any characters previously seen in Digimon. If anyone who does own Digimon sees this I am more than willing to help with the next season. Enjoy._

**Chapter Eight: Jeri's Night**

Takato had been up late and then gotten up early. Now he was just trying to catch up on sleep. He was enjoying all the whimsy of dreamland when a loud banging at his door woke him up. Takato rolled out of bed and opened his door.

Takehiro, Takato's father, was standing there in a bit of a panic, and when Takehiro looked into Takato's room the panic intensified. "Jeri just called to say she's on her way! You didn't clean your room! That was one of the things we talked about!"

Takato looked around. He hadn't realized how much of a mess he and Guilmon made when they were stuffed into the same room.

Takato's father shook Guilmon awake. "Come on Guilmon ol' buddy. I need your help."

The dinosaur opened his eyes. "What's the problem? What do you need?"

Takehiro started picking up clothes scattered around Takato's room. "You and me are going to pick up for Takato."

Takato interrupted, "Dad, Guilmon is resting. He was injured yesterday. Besides I can clean my own room."

Takehiro worked at a frantic pace. "No time. You need to take a shower. Remember to brush your teeth, comb your hair, and put some deodorant on." The speedy baker turned to Guilmon and said, "I know you're hurting, Guilmon, but this is a big night for my son. If you help me out here I'll make you a big batch of that special Guilmon bread you like. Peanut butter filled and everything."

The dinosaur stood up and tested his ribs. "Takato, I'm good. You do what you need to do and I'll clean up."

Together Takato's father and partner began working furiously to clean the room while Takato went to the bathroom to shower.

* * *

><p>Takato did all the things his father told him to do. Afterwards he wrapped a towel around his waist and turned the corner to go to his bedroom. The door was ajar and he could hear Guilmon talking to someone. He opened the door all the way. There, sitting in a chair by his desk, was Jeri. Takehiro and Guilmon were sitting on the bed.<p>

Takato smiled nervously as he tried to make sure the towel covered up as much as it could. "Um… Hi Jeri. I was just getting ready. I'll be good to go in a minute if you just let me get dressed."

The young girl didn't say a word, but smiled her normal cheery smile and left the naked boy to get dressed. As soon as she was gone Takato shut the door. "Thanks for telling me Jeri was here you guys."

Guilmon gave that innocent voice. "You didn't ask if she was here."

Takato sighed, "Yeah, I know. Dad, thanks for cleaning the room, but can I have some privacy?"

Takato's father left the room with a, "Good luck, sport."

Takato realized it was going to be a long day. Guilmon turned away while Takato dressed for the day. The Tamer put on a button up blue shirt and the nicest pants he could find. That and his good shoes and he declared he was ready.

Guilmon turned around and dug under the bed. "You forgot one thing. Here."

Guilmon pulled out Takato's trademark goggles and handed them to the tamer.

Takato looked at them and then back to the digimon. "Sorry, boy. Not tonight. I'm leaving these and you at home. Tonight is just me and Jeri. No goggles and no fighting Digimon."

Guilmon looked disappointed for a moment. Then he perked up. "But we'll spend some time together tomorrow, right?"

Takato patted the digimon on the head. "You bet. You just rest up and tomorrow we'll have some fun."

Guilmon curled up on the bed to rest his tired ribs.

* * *

><p>Jeri was downstairs waiting for Takato in the bakery watching Mr. Matsuki make fresh rolls. She saw Takato come down the stairs and greeted him, "Good morning, Takato. Sorry for getting you up so early."<p>

Takato looked at the clock. He had slept in until almost eleven. "No problem. So are you ready to go?"

Jeri nodded her head. "Yeah, but don't you want to say goodbye to your parents?"

Takato's dad butted in, "You sure you got your money, champ?"

Takato looked into his back pocket. He didn't even have his wallet. Takato panicked. "Oh crud! Give me a second."

His dad grabbed the back of Takato's collar before he could get up the stairs. "Don't worry, son. I have it right here."

Takato's dad pulled a wallet out from his apron and handed it to the boy.

Takato put it into his back pocket. "Thanks dad." He gave his dad a hug. "See you in a few. Hey Mom, I'm heading out."

Takato's mother called from the front of the bakery, "Ok, you kids. Be safe and we'll talk more when you get back."

* * *

><p>Takato and Jeri slipped out the back door. The young teenage boy gave Jeri a good look for the first time. She wasn't in her typical green dress, but was wearing a calm yellow dress. It wasn't flashy, but it went beyond her normal casual. Her hair was in the normal green ribbon, and she had a small pink purse held on by a thin pink spaghetti strap of cloth.<p>

Takato noticed all this as he was walking alongside her. "You look nice today, Jeri."

The teenage girl looked down at herself and then smiled. "Thanks. I just pulled this old thing out of the closet. You look good too."

Takato straightened the collar of his shirt. "Thanks. I figured if I get dressed up in something a little out of my norm we won't be recognized quite as easily. So I hope my parents weren't too hard on you."

Jeri looked a little surprised. "No, why? Were you expecting them to be?"

Takato thought about what to say. "No, it's just that they think I'm heading off to my first date. You know what, never mind. It's stupid."

Jeri stopped him for a moment. "Did you get one of those talks too?"

Takato was surprised. "What talk did you get?"

Jeri blushed heavily. "Well it was from my dad and he just said stuff. Things I'd rather not repeat. Bird and bees and men are scum. Always funny coming from a dad. What did you get?"

Takato had a hard time even thinking about it. With a nervous smile on his face he laughingly said, "You know I don't think I can talk about it either."

Both young kids laughed at the antics of their parents.

After a few embarrassed giggles and full on roars of laughter Takato was able to ask, "So what do you want to do first?"

Jeri tried to control her laughter. "I don't know. It seems a bit early for a movie. Maybe we could go back to the bakery and get some free lunch?"

Takato thought about this for a moment. His dad had said to basically go with whatever Jeri suggested for the day. For a second the teenage boy fought with the idea of whether or not to listen to his dad's advice. Finally he decided that honesty was the best policy. After all, Jeri was his friend. They went way back and if he couldn't talk to her about simple stuff like this the rest of the night was going to be tough.

"I can be honest with you, right?"

The young girl nodded her head. "Of course."

"My dad gave me plenty of money for tonight. If you don't mind taking the subway home with me instead of a cab I have plenty of cash for lunch and dinner. I just really, REALLY, don't want to go back to my parents or the bakery until after the night is over."

Jeri understood exactly what Takato was thinking. "Yeah, it can be embarrassing. Ok. Where do you want to eat?"

Takato continued walking down the street in a very good mood. "Anywhere you want. After all today is about you."

Jeri giggled. "Who said that? I thought today was about us catching up."

Takato realized he was starting to believe what his father had said. "I guess you're right. The stuff my dad said must be getting to me."

"Is that where the whole cab thing came from?"

"Yeah. It was a long talk."

"Well we can just forget all of that."

"You still haven't said where you want to go for lunch."

"Tell you what, you pick lunch and I'll pick dinner."

Takato knew instantly that he was going to lose this one. "Um ok. How about a cheeseburger?"

Jeri pulled Takato along by the arm. "That sounds great! This way, I know a great burger place just around the corner."

Takato followed; not objecting to being pulled along. The day was starting off rather good.

* * *

><p>Jeri and Takato sat at a small table enjoying their cheeseburgers and fries. Takato was glad that Jeri was happy. She giggled and laughed, and that made Takato happy. They talked about stupid thing as well as important things.<p>

Jeri finally asked, "So how is life going now that Guilmon is back?"

Takato finished chewing before he answered, "Good. It's great to have him back. How's life with Calumon?"

Jeri replied happily, "It's good. He's currently keeping my little brother company. They play all the time."

Takato tried holding in a laugh.

Jeri caught him. "What's so funny?"

Takato controlled himself but could not wipe away the smile on his face. "Nothing. It's just when you asked how Guilmon was doing and I said good. That wasn't completely accurate."

Jeri looked concerned. "Is everything ok?"

Takato confessed. "Yeah. Everything's fine between me and him. It's just that the first week he's back he gets the absolute snot beat out of him."

Jeri pulled back slightly. "How is that funny? Was it a wild Digimon?"

"No, and that's why it was so odd. He got absolutely destroyed by some guy."

"You mean just some human?"

"Yeah! Renamon too. I couldn't believe it."

"Oh my god. Are they alright?"

"Yeah, they're fine. Guilmon's nursing some bruised ribs and Renamon took a huge hit to the ego, but they should be fine."

"What happened?"

"Well some guy was zipping along on a motorcycle going way too fast. So we try and stop him. Rika attempts to be a human speed bump and I was just barely able to tackle her out of the way."

"What was she thinking?"

"I don't know, but I save her and this guy gets off his bike and proceeds to kick the crap out of Renamon and Guilmon."

"Why would he do that?"

"Well Renamon attacked him first for threatening Rika and then Guilmon came to Renamon's aid. It was a big escalation thing. After that he just kinda left."

"How bizarre."

"Yeah. The poor red lizard of mine is doing just fine, but I wish his first week here had been better."

The sudden remembrance of the conversation that led up to the events of that day reminded Takato of something. "Hey I just remembered, can you help me with something?"

Jeri perked up again. "Yeah."

"Well Rika's birthday is coming up and I promised I'd get her something really nice."

"That's nice of you."

"Well she was the one who got the digimon back here. I feel I owe her something for that."

Jeri put on her serious face. "Um, Takato. I think saving her from getting run over makes you two about even."

"Yeah I guess you're right. Still I should get her something on her birthday."

"I've never even heard when Rika's birthday is."

"It's about twenty days away."

"Well I know what I'm doing for her."

"Really? What's that?"

"I'm going to throw her a surprise party."

Takato immediately knew he had done the wrong thing in involving Jeri. "No you aren't. Please don't! She specifically asked me not to make a big deal about it."

"Yeah, but that's because nobody ever makes a big thing about the stuff in Rika's life. We should all do something for her."

"Well that's nice of you, Jeri, but I don't recommend it."

"Too bad. I'm doing it for Rika and that's that."

"Ok, but I'm going to spend every last day trying to talk you out of it. In the meantime, can you tell me what to get for her?"

"I'll think about it."

* * *

><p>Takato and Jeri walked down the sidewalk, now full and happy.<p>

Takato turned to his friend. "So what next?"

Jeri looked around. "It's about twelve thirty. Still really early to go to the movie. Oh look! There's an arcade. Let's go play a couple games."

Takato let himself get pulled by the teenage girl. It was becoming a habit. They entered the arcade and immediately noticed someone familiar. Henry was at the air hockey table hitting the disc furiously across the table as a little girl much younger than himself was keeping good pace with him.

Takato called out, "Hey Henry!"

Henry looked away for a split second and the disc flew into his goal.

The little girl jumped for joy. "That's game, Henry!"

Henry pulled at his short black hair for a moment and then turned to Takato in a bit of a sour mood. "Every week I get beat by my nine year old little sister at that game. Do you have any idea how that feels?"

Takato shrugged his shoulders. "Nope. One of the benefits of being an only child I guess."

Henry regained his composure and looked at the two differently. "Since when were you two a thing?"

Takato looked at Jeri. "We aren't."

Henry tilted his head, slyly and pointed down. Takato looked down. He and Jeri were still holding hands from when she was pulling him into the arcade. Takato gently let go. Jeri blushed and looked away with a big embarrassed smile on her face.

Takato looked for the words to explain, but before he could say a word Henry just said, "It's none of my business anyway."

Takato was glad his friend understood.

Henry turned around and called to Suzie, "Ok Suzie, you won. Winner has to round up the bunnies. Go get 'um."

Suzie ran off in search of the two rabbit digimon.

Henry leaned against the air hockey table. "So what brings you two here?"

Jeri answered for the two of them, "We are trying to have the best day possible. Catching up on old stuff and such. We already had a cheeseburger and now were hitting the arcade."

Henry appreciated the situation. "Sounds fun. So how is this not a date?"

Takato interrupted defensively, "Because it isn't! For one we haven't locked lips or anything like that yet."

Henry just got that wise smug smile that he gets from time to time. "Yet?"

Takato put a palm to his face in embarrassment. "That's not what I meant!"

Suzie came running with the two digimon in tow.

Henry picked up Terriermon. "Like I said, it's none of my business."

With that Henry and his extended family left the arcade.

Takato tilted his head. "I don't know how, but I think we lost that one, Jeri."

* * *

><p>Takato and Jeri spent about two hours and thirty bucks in quarters at the arcade. Afterwards Jeri finally decided that it was late enough to see a movie. As luck would have it the only film starting at around that time was a horror film. Takato and Jeri were old enough, sure, but Jeri always got scared really easily. After ger time in the D-reaper who could blame her? She tried to act brave, but in truth just about anything like those movies scared the crap out of her. Takato understood. He wasn't much braver, but he tried to be for her.<p>

He told her, "We don't have to watch that one if you don't want to."

Jeri put on her brave face. "I'll be fine. Let's go see it."

Takato reluctantly paid for the tickets. They sat together four rows from the front sharing a large bucket of popcorn and sipping on small sodas. Jeri did fairly well with the movie, all things considered. She screamed at a few gory scenes, but so did a large group of people in the theatre. Takato let her scream and even cling to him during the scary parts. They walked out laughing and giggling trying to pretend that neither one of them had been scared. They walked down the streets as darkness began to approach.

"You ready for some noodles?"

Jeri looked forward to dinner. "Oh yeah. Where's the closest place?"

Takato looked around. "I seem to remember a little corner vendor a few blocks this way."

Jeri followed Takato's lead for a change as they went to a small corner fried noodle peddler. Takato bought each of them a medium sized cup of fried noodles.

Jeri motioned a direction. "Let's go this way. We can eat our dinner in the park."

Takato agreed and the two walked into the calm cool park. Jeri found a bench in the middle of the park near a baseball diamond. Together they sat eating their noodles. Takato was at peace and Jeri seemed absolutely ecstatic. He sure couldn't do stuff like this every day, but this was possibly the best day he had had in a very long time. The young boy casually moved a strand of hair from Jeri's eyes. She looked at him and grinned. "Thanks for doing all this with me."

Takato relaxed in the bench, slumping slightly closer to her. "It was absolutely my pleasure."


	9. Chapter Nine: Adman Hows

_Disclaimer: This work is for purely entertainment purposes and is not for profit. I do not own Digimon or any characters previously seen in Digimon. If anyone who does own Digimon sees this I am more than willing to help with the next season. Enjoy._

**Chapter Nine: Adman Hows**

Just as Jeri and Takato were finishing up their dinner something peculiar happened. All of the sudden the area directly in front of them burst into a thick and heavy fog.

Takato was all too familiar with this phenomenon. He stood from the bench in a panic. "A Digimon is bio-emerging!"

Jeri held his arm tight. "We can't go in there. You don't have Guilmon with you."

Takato pulled free. "I can't sit here. Do you have a cell phone?"

Jeri nodded a yes. "In case of emergencies."

Takato began walking into the mist, calling back, "This definitely qualifies. Call Rika and Henry."

Jeri pulled out her phone as Takato was swept out of view by the thickness of the mist. She began to dial on the phone when a strong black-gloved hand rested reassuringly on her shoulder. She looked to the owner and saw a man slightly older than Takato wearing sunglasses in the dark of night. He smiled a calm smile that seemed unfitting of the man.

He spoke to her in a cool and controlled voice, "Don't worry about him. I got this."

With that the stranger walked calmly into the fog of a digital field after her friend. She continued calling Rika, just to be sure.

* * *

><p>Takato pushed deeper into the fog with absolutely no clue as to why. The park was always a hot spot for young couples at night, but what could he do to save them from a wild Digimon? He didn't even have his goggles to help him see. He was defenseless, clueless and flying completely blind. He didn't even have his Digivice. Still his instinct forced him onward as he knew that if even one person got hurt while he was waiting for backup to arrive he could never live with himself. He cut through the fog and found a clearing in the tree cover where the fog wasn't quite as thick. Then he saw what he really didn't want to. A giant red Digimon was standing in the center of the clearing. Recently emerged Digimon were often confused or frightened by the new change of scenery. The human world and Digital world were very different and the transition often made the Digimon agitated. The red dinosaur stood about twenty feet tall and was almost the same color as Guilmon. Small green plates stuck out of the creatures back in a single file line every few feet from the back of the skull to the tip of the tail. The massive red monster had a white belly and three long white claws on both hands and feet. Takato wasn't as good at identifying Digimon as Henry or Rika, but even without his Digivice he knew this one by heart. Tyrannomon: champion level. He could breathe fire and slash through enemies with those giant claws. The tail was a danger too. Just as Takato was about to run for cover he heard someone approaching. The black boots made almost no sound against the grass, but Takato's senses were on edge. The man in black that he had encountered the day before stepped through the fog and Takato knew his problems had gone from bad to worse. Adman. That's what Rika said his name was.<p>

Adman walked casually up to Takato; ignoring the giant Digimon not fifty feet away. "Gee what weird weather we've been having lately, huh?"

Takato wasn't sure if the man was joking or if Adman really hadn't noticed the Digimon yet.

Before Takato could say a single word Aman continued in an apologetic manner. "Hey listen. Takato, right? I just wanted to say I'm sorry about yesterday and everything. It was all just a big misunderstanding and I didn't want that to be our last meeting for a while. So I'm here to make it up to you. If there's anything I can do, and I mean anything, please don't hesitate to ask."

Adman tipped his head to the right and started looking skyward, as if just noticing the Digimon for the first time. His tone changed to one similar to what professionals would use when discussing how to deal with a problem in the trade. "Wow, that's a big one!"

He tilted his head back to Takato and motioned to the dinosaur. "You wanna take this one?"

Takato couldn't believe what he was hearing. He was clearly in a really bad way and this guy was wondering if he wanted 'to take this one'.

All Takato could manage to say was, "I don't have Guilmon with me."

The man tilted his head back to the dinosaur after Takato's statement. "That could be a problem. I guess I'll take this one."

The dark Tamer cracked his knuckles and popped his neck both way before stepping forward; calling back to Takato, "Don't worry, you can take the next one. Now step back and watch the master work."

Adman stepped forward until he was about fifteen feet from the massive dinosaur. He locked eyes with it and unsheathed his sword. The beast glared at him and growled, obviously on edge at the proximity of this new and strange creature.

Adman ignored this and instead called up to the creature in a commanding tone, "First let me say, welcome to Earth. Congratulations. You've made it to the human world. That being said I'm going to have to ask you to return to your world of origin. Now you can do this two ways. Break yourself back down into data and slip back through the stream you entered through or I can delete you and hope that you reform correctly back on the other side. Either way you have to get through me if you want to remain here."

The dinosaur growled and a low guttural voice came from deep within the beast, "Well then I choose to fight for my freedom."

Adman brought his sword up in the swordsman's ready stance. "As you wish."

The Digimon's eyes flashed red for a split second. Fire erupted from the mouth of the beast. The same guttural voice roared out, "Blaze blast!"

Adman didn't move as the fireball came roaring right for him.

* * *

><p>Takato watched as the fireball was launched and then exploded onto Adman. The smoke and fog obscured the view, but Takato knew the man was dead. Somehow Takato felt sorry for the man. He had given his life so that the young Takato didn't have to risk his. Takato whispered a silent prayer for the fallen warrior. Then the smoke cleared and he saw something he couldn't believe. Adman was still standing! The young man didn't have a scratch on him. The blast was completely blocked by a thick metal disk that had formed in front of the dark Tamer.<p>

With a smile still on his face Adman issued the order, "Shield down", to his digital partner.

The six coils that were Shadowmon's main weapon slowly slithered back into Adman's shoulders. Shadowmon had quickly sent the coils out and compacted them together in a circular formation so tightly that they had formed an impromptu shield in front of the Tamer capable of taking the blast.

Adman spun his sword slightly. "My turn. Juice me, good buddy."

A single spike left from the blackness of Adman's jacket, just below the right shoulder. It slithered down Adman's right arm and then grasped onto the handle of the sword. The cable and spike seemed to melt inside of the blade until there was the illusion that the blade was directly connected to the cable, which was in turn connected to Adman's back. The blade began to glow and pulse with raw power. Adman's right arm began to bulge and the sleeve of the leather jacket became tight as the muscles of the dark Tamer flexed.

Adman growled out his own personal attack, a direct response to the assault that Tyrannomon had just launched at him, "Fusion slash!"

Adman cut his blade through the air in one single rapid slash, his body never moving from where his feet had been planted. Either the energy that was being fed to the blade was released or the shockwave that followed the absolute speed of the slash formed into a massive single cut on Tyrannomon. Either way Tyrannomon was cut. Adman's slash went from lower left to upper right and Tyrannomon suffered the deep slash that corresponded from the cut. Takato couldn't believe that a human could do this. The Tyrannomon was hurt, but not dead. It began to fall backwards from the force of the attack. Adman quickly sheathed his blade as the cable detached. The Tyrannomon was going to fall back right onto a large section of the parks playground equipment.

Adman reacted quickly, in perfect sync with his partner. "Shadowmon, I don't want any damages done today. I need some cables now!"

Two cords, with the spikes that tipped them shot from Adman's back and wrapped around the falling dinosaur. Adman gripped the cables and began to slowly slide forward under the weight of the creature. The fact that he was able to slow the decent at all was amazing.

Adman seemed to yell to his back, "I'm gonna need grounders. Sink um deep."

Two more cables shot from Adman's lower back and dug into the dirt of the park. This seemed to anchor the dark Tamer and stopped the dinosaurs decent. With a powerful effort the young Tamer, with the aid of his Digimon, yanked the dinosaur forward, keeping it upright. The dinosaur balanced and the cables both in the ground and around the dinosaur returned and disappeared into Adman's back. The dinosaur desperately tried to focus on the warrior, but in the daze state it was in even that was hard.

Adman made a gesture for peace. "Ready to reconsider yet?"

The dinosaur's eyes began to glow red again. Adman braced himself as the shield began to form. From out of nowhere a yellow blur, only about six feet tall, slammed into the dinosaur's left cheek with a jump kick. It was so powerful and the Digimon it hit was so dazed already that the giant red dinosaur toppled down into the grass. The Digimon that delivered the kick did a back flip after pushing off from the kick and landed next to Adman. From out of the fog a girl in a white sweater approached the yellow Digimon. The white sweater with the pink trim and buttons were unfamiliar to Adman. The white boots, and cream colored pants were also a surprise to him, but the fiery red hair pulled up in a ponytail was an unmistakable trademark of the one and only Rika Nonaka.

Adman nodded his head in greeting to the teenage girl and her yellow fox Digimon, Renamon. "Good to see you two. I'm afraid this is my fight, but I'll gladly let you have this one if you let me discuss this new outfit of yours."

Rika tried to ignore the dark Tamer's comments. "This is our turf. This guy is ours. Back off!"

Adman felt mildly hurt, but tried to act surprised instead. "I saw him first. Besides, you don't own ass whooping rights."

"You obviously don't know me very well. Of course I do."

Renamon interrupted the two as the dinosaur began to right himself again, "There's plenty to go around."

Adman turned his back to the girl and both Digimon. "No, it's ok. This is obviously YOUR turf so YOU can take him all by yourself."

Rika 'humf'ed at him, "Fine then. We will."

Takato called out from somewhere behind a bench, "will one of you just kick this guy's ass! You two can fight later."

Rika's eyes went furious as she glared at the boy now completely concealed by the park bench.

Renamon ignored the bickering and went to work. She leapt into the air and crossed her arms in front of her chest. Dozens of tiny fragmented shards of light formed in front of her. Razor sharp and deadly accurate, they shot out at the call of her primary attack, "Diamond storm!"

The little shards of light covered the red dinosaur and then simultaneously detonated. Adman turned around as smoke wafted through the air. Renamon landed next to her Tamer and griped her still tender arm tightly.

Adman walked over to them, acting as cocky as ever. "I told you not to fight for a few days. Besides, you wouldn't have been able to beat him had I not softened him up for ya."

Renamon fell to one knee to care for her only partially recovered wrist. Although Renamon and Rika didn't see it at first, a giant red tail came from the smoke right in their direction. Rika looked up just as it was nearly upon them. She screamed as fear set in. Renamon was too weak to react quick enough. In an instant the tail fell to the ground, completely severed. Adman now stood right behind the two girls, his blade still out in the follow-through of a masterful cut. He didn't have time to get power from Shadowmon though. This attack was purely human. The dinosaur came bursting out of the smoke in absolute rage as pain threatened to overwhelm it.

Adman sheathed his sword. "Ok, you were right. Let's do this together."

Renamon stood up in an uneasy effort. "I think I have one more attack left in me."

Shadowmon suddenly appeared next to her. "Can I partake in the fun, sir?"

Adman crossed his arms and smiled. "Sure. You two go ahead and steal my spotlight."

The dark Digimon only turned to the dinosaur. "Thank you, sir."

Shadowmon may have had the same shape as Renamon, but his primary attack was very different. His six spikes came out and all pointed at the dinosaur. Every cord was perfectly spaced about three feet from his body and if you were to measure from one point to another each tip would be equally spaced from the next one. The tips began to glow with a powerful light. Renamon repeated her attack, and this time Shadowmon joined in.

"Shadow blaster!" Beams of pure energy fired from the points of the spikes, which cocked backwards after each shot like the recoil from a cannon. Each tiny blast that peppered Tyrannomon ripped clean through and as the two Digimon synchronized their attacks the dinosaur began to dissipate. Adman watched as the body of the Tyrannomon broke up into bits of data which eventually floated away. As the wild Digimon died the digital field disappeared as well. The fog was gone.

* * *

><p>Jeri came running to Takato as the coast was made clear. "Is everything ok? Is everybody alright?"<p>

Adman nodded to the girl. "Everyone is just fine."

Takato got up from where he had been watching and approached the group. "You guys did good."

Then Takato thought of something and glared at the dark Tamer. "Was this your doing?"

Adman sat down on the soft grass. "Not me. Though thanks for the vote of confidence."

Rika replied critically, "Can you blame him?"

Renamon collapsed on the ground.

Shadowmon approached her, trying to help, but Adman called him away, "Re-assimilate now. I'll take care of this one."

Renamon moved back as Adman approached.

Before he could get too close to the weak fox Digimon Rika stepped in the way. "I won't let you hurt her."

Adman relaxed his body and pulled a bottle from his sleeve. It was like a glass soda bottle, but corked and filled with a strange pink liquid. "I was just going to give this to her."

Rika took the bottle quickly and eyed it suspiciously. "Oh yeah. What's in it?"

Adman walked away and sat down on the bench Takato had been hiding behind.

He called back to her, "It's concentrated data packets. Old junk data from the Digital world. Give her some. Pour it directly on the wound and she will be just fine in a matter of hours. I don't think she'll let me give it to her. She doesn't trust me much."

Rika turned her back to the man. "Gee, I wonder why?"

Then the warrior said something that startled Rika, "Yeah, but you do. So you give it to her. I promise it will only heal her. Otherwise she'll be too weak to do much for a few."

Rika looked at the bottle and then at Renamon. She couldn't believe she was even considering trusting that guy. After what he did to Renamon she should smash it.

She called back, "What makes you think I trust you?"

Adman replied, "Well you trusted me enough to get into a strange limo because my voice told you to. I haven't B.S.'ed you yet."

Rika looked at her ailing partner. Renamon was exhausted. The wound was hurting the Digimon severely. She could barely keep her eyes open. Rika uncorked the bottle.

Renamon tried to back away. "Get that away from me, Rika." Her voice was desperate, weak and filled with fear.

Rika laid her hand on the foxes head and rubbed it softly, cradling it. "Do you trust me, Renamon?"

The fox forced both her eyes open for just a second. "You know I do."

Rika stroked her friend's head lovingly. "Well I trust him on this. Let me help you."

Renamon struggled for a moment with the thought before finally giving in.

As the liquid was poured onto the affected arm Renamon just stared at her Tamer. "Why do you trust him so much? You'd trust him with my life?"

Rika stopped pouring as the wound began to heal, as if by magic. "I don't know why. I guess I just don't want to see you hurt. And you know I'll do anything to help you. I don't think he wants to hurt anybody today."

Renamon stood up as strength returned to her. "He didn't knock the stuffing out of you."

Rika walked over to the man on the bench and offered the bottle back to the warrior.

He refused it. "Keep it. You might need it again someday, should she get injured again. I'd say she has about two good injuries left in that glass."

Rika looked at the half full vial and then back to the dark Tamer. "Why did you do that? Help her after hurting her?"

Adman sat back farther on the bench, taking of his sunglasses, his eyes closed as he spoke, "I don't really know why. Maybe to prove to myself that I'm not such a bad guy. Maybe because I like her style and it would be a shame to lose such a talented Digimon. I'm just trying to make things right."

Adman opened his eyes once more and Rika could feel his gaze.

Adman finished with some sadness in his voice, "Or maybe I just didn't want your last thoughts of me being all about hurting your poor Digimon. I am not a nice man, miss Nonaka. I am not a good man. But I do have a heart and I try every day to make amends for the sins of the past. Hopefully this is one I don't have to atone for later. I'm sorry for the pain I caused both of you the other day."

* * *

><p>Takato walked up to the two. "Listen, I'm going to take Jeri home. You two can talk all you want." He focused on Rika and said in a more serious tone, "Do you need me here?"<p>

Rika pointed out Guilmon's absence, "What exactly could you do, Goggle-head? Even with Guilmon you didn't do that well against him. Let Renamon and I handle this."

Takato walked away hoping that Rika would try and get information about the strange man. Rika stood there for a long while, even after Takato and Jeri had left.

Finally Rika spoke, "So where do we go from here? I still don't know anything about you. I still don't trust you."

Adman interrupted, "Yes you do. You hate yourself for doing so, but I can tell you actually do trust me. And that's what really bothers you isn't it. You know I won't say anything to you and you know I might lie to protect myself, but you trust me anyway. Well I do swear that any question you ask I will try to give a straight answer. As for not knowing me, well the best way to get to know someone is to sit and talk with them."

Adman moved over on the bench and patted the seat next to him.

Rika turned her head. "Renamon?"

Renamon was at her side in an instant. "Yes, Rika?"

"Are you able to travel again?"

Renamon felt where her wound had been. "Yes, Rika. I believe so."

Rika exhaled deeply. "Then I want you to go home. I'll meet you there later."

Renamon began to object, "Rika, I understand that he helped me, but I still don't want you left alone with him."

Rika made her silent with a wave of her hand. "I understand, but this is something I have to do. Please listen."

Renamon reluctantly nodded and was gone in a flash.

Adman moved farther over to give the girl personal space as she sat next to him. "Thank you for trusting me."

Rika told him, "Make it worth my while. Or have I made a mistake?"

Adman replied, "I don't think so."

* * *

><p>Rika and Adman sat there for a very long time.<p>

Adman broke the ice by saying, "You know you want information more than I do. You should ask a question."

Rika was uncomfortable with the whole situation. She finally asked, "So what kind of a name is Adman?"

Adman laughed heartily, "I knew you were funny!" He chuckled. "Do you want the truth or what I tell everybody?"

Rika hadn't meant to be funny. She tilted her head. "That depends. What do you tell everyone else?"

Adman put on his angry face, but couldn't conceal a smile, "I tell them it's none of their damn business."

He burst out laughing at the end. Rika didn't laugh. She was starting to get the sneaking suspicion he was drunk, or high or something.

Rika stared back at him waiting for him to be serious. "And what are you going to tell me?"

Adman relaxed and closed his eyes again. "The truth, if you are willing to believe me. I can't divulge much to you, but I'll do what I can."

Rika was getting impatient. "So what kind of name is Adman?"

The dark Tamer thought for a long moment before finally deciding on what to do. "It's an anagram. 'Adman Hows' is a jumbled up version of 'shadow man'."

Rika frowned. "So even your name is a lie."

Adman hung his head low. "I don't think you understand. I'm not lying to you. I swear that that is the exact way I formed my new name. I was the Tamer to Shadowmon so I thought shadow man was appropriate."

Rika followed his logic. "So how long have you been taming?"

Adman stopped her, "It's my turn."

Rika became pouty. "I didn't think you got a turn."

"Of course I get a turn. You learn something about me. I learn something about you. That's how people get to know each other. I thought that's what we were doing."

Rika sighed, "Sure. Make it quick. Ask me a question."

"Don't sound so sad. I'm sure my questions aren't nearly as prying as yours."

"I haven't heard a question yet."

"Ok then. What's the deal with the new outfit? It's nice, but it just doesn't seem like you."

Rika grew angry and defensive. "And how exactly would you know what's like me?"

"I thought it was my turn to get my question answered?"

Rika grit her teeth for a moment. The man was infuriating.

Rika bit her tongue for just a moment before her calm returned. "I was at a modeling thing when Jeri called. I ran out the door as soon as I got the call. There. That explains the outfit. My turn?"

"Go ahead," he said calmly.

"How would you know what is or isn't like me?" Her question was full of venom and accusations.

Adman thought for a moment. "I have a file on all other Tamers on the planet. Or at least most of them. We are a special breed. Unlike the others I have the resources to locate all of them. I've been following you and the others since you made an appearance in the Digital world. I was able to steal Hypnos files on you and the others. Now I know just about everything that they know. Or at least I could. I haven't thumbed through most of it yet. I do have standards and I figured that invading your personal privacy could best be left to the government spooks. Plus I didn't want it to hurt our chance at friendship."

Rika cut him off, "We aren't friends."

Adman sighed, "Maybe not. But I fear we will have to all work together soon. I just thought it would be best if we could all come together on friendly terms."

Rika thought about the things Adman had said. "Why will we all have to work together?"

"It's my turn again. So you are interested in modeling? Is that a personal career path or just a short time thing?"

"My mother is a model. I hate the idea, but she needed someone for the fall section. I was forced to fill in."

"For what it's worth I think you look pretty in that outfit."

Rika grew cold and she scooted farther away. "How old are you, you sick-o?"

Adman stood up to give the girl more space, "I know you won't believe me, but I'm sixteen years old. And I know from your file that you are turning fifteen soon. Now I meant no offense by what I said, and I'm sorry if what I said hurt your feelings or your pride, but where I come from there's nothing wrong with a sixteen year old boy telling a fifteen year old girl that she looks pretty."

"Really," she mockingly laughed, "and where are you from?"

Adman quickly answered, "I'm from the United States, but that was your second question in a row."

Rika stood up in an angry mood. "Forget it. I'm done. I don't know why I even agreed to talk to you. You're just a jerk! Leave me alone and leave the rest of us alone too!"

Adman called out as she walked away, "You don't even know what my last question was?"

Rika called back, "Bite me", as she stormed away.

She was gone before he could say anything else.

Shadowmon appeared next to the saddened Tamer. "What's the matter, sir?"

Adman kicked the dirt. "I don't know how, but I successfully managed to burn that bridge."

"Maybe you should have called her ugly." Shadowmon's humor was lost on the dark Tamer. The black fox rested one of the three-fingered paws on his Tamer's shoulder. "So what were you going to ask her?"

Adman looked to where Rika had been with disappointment. "I just wanted to know what she wanted for her birthday."


	10. Chapter Ten: Innocence and the Animal

_Disclaimer: This work is for purely entertainment purposes and is not for profit. I do not own Digimon or any characters previously seen in Digimon. If anyone who does own Digimon sees this I am more than willing to help with the next season. Enjoy._

Chapter Ten: Innocence and the Animal.

Takato had taken Jeri home without stopping at his house first. Jeri didn't mind though. She understood completely. He placed a hand to his cheek in remembrance of his goodbye with Jeri. Tyrannomon, Adman, Rika, all of it paled in comparison to his night with her. And Rika. He had left her alone with Adman. Sure Renamon would help, but he should have stayed. Leaving her wasn't something a leader would do. His head obviously wasn't working right. He decided to call Rika when he got home to check on her. Still he was glad to have gotten Jeri home. The wild Digimon fight had put him on edge and he didn't want Jeri to be in harms way should another appear. The chaos swirled around in his head and he decided to instead focus on his surroundings. Takato was riding the subway home; the brightly lit train car was only filled with one or two passengers besides himself. Suddenly there was a tap on his shoulder and he turned to see a familiar man in black now sitting next to him on one of the subway benches. Takato nearly jumped out of his seat. The dark Tamer hadn't boarded the train at any time yet somehow there he was.

Takato jumped in his seat slightly at the sight of the man. "How'd you get here?"

Adman took his sunglasses off and put them in his pocket. "That's none of your concern. I have something for you, Mister Matsuki."

Takato was nervous, but didn't want to make a scene in the train car. "Please, just call me Takato."

Adman seemed in a grumpy mood. He pulled a bottle from one of his sleeves and handed it to the boy with a, "Whatever."

Takato took the bottle and examined it. "I saw you give one of these to Rika. It's data, right? Just put it on Guilmon's wounds and they'll get better, right?"

Adman stood up as he remarked sarcastically, "Boy nothing gets past you, except maybe the fact that Guilmon's wounds are internal. Have him take a sip and he'll be better in no time."

Takato didn't like the attitude he was receiving from Adman, so he called the dark Tamer on it "Listen, just because Rika puts up with your crap doesn't mean I will. Why should I even trust you? How do I know that this bottle isn't filled with poison?"

Adman put his glasses back on to hide the anger in his eyes. "I guess you don't. Either use it or don't. It's no skin off my nose."

With that Adman seemed to vanish through the very floor of the train. There was no opening or anything close to that, but he seemed to just plummet straight through the ground and disappear. Takato looked at the bottle questioningly. What to do with it now?

* * *

><p>Adman was in a positively foul mood. After leaving Takato it hadn't improved at all. All he had tried to do that night was patch things up and instead he made things worse. Rika, his one trusted ally of the group, now thought he was a complete creep. He walked back and forth near the front gate leading to the Nonaka residence; wondering what to do. He had already given Takato his bottle of healing data, but Rika had left hers on the bench when she stormed off. He wanted to give it back to her, but felt he would almost assuredly not be welcomed. Of course he and Shadowmon could always slip in undetected and just leave it somewhere, but that seemed like an invasion of privacy.<p>

After about his fifth pass of the gate a voice called down to him from above, "What are you doing here?"

Adman looked up. Renamon was sitting in a tree branch that had grown over the tall wall surrounding Rika's house. She seemed both hostile and extremely pleased at that moment. Perhaps it was just the possibility of having something she wished to destroy so close to her.

Adman tilted his head in the most non threatening way possible. He held up the bottle of half used data packets. "I was trying to think of a way to get this back to you. I imagine you'll need it later, but I don't think your Tamer will let me in."

Adman tossed the bottle up to the fox.

She caught it one handed. "You would be right on that assumption. I have been given instructions to attack you on sight should you enter the property."

So this was why she was in such a good mood. In Renamon's mind Rika had finally seen through his smokescreen of false benevolence and had given the order for active hostilities.

Adman leaned up against the wall casually. "You would lose."

Renamon made some semblance of a smile, her voice taking on a cocky air, "Is that so? Care to test your theory?"

Adman sighed and pushed off the wall gently. "No thanks. I don't want to hurt anyone tonight. Besides you only just recently made it back to full strength. It would be a shame to have to heal you again."

Adman took out a slip of paper and began to scribble on it. "Renamon, I was wondering if you would do a favor for me?"

Renamon hopped down to the edge of the thin wall. "Why on Earth would I want to do that?"

Adman folded the paper up and held it up. "It's a simple request. Just give this to your master. My cell number is on there. I may be hard to get into contact with otherwise. If you should find yourselves in trouble I hope that she can find the humility inside herself to call me for help. I doubt she will, but the option is always available."

Renamon jumped down to street level and took the slip of paper from him in one of her three fingered hands. Without a word she disappeared. Adman began walking away. He had a long night ahead of him. Thoughts whirled in his head; he had to find a way to dispel some of them.

* * *

><p>Impmon was resting outside in the doghouse Ai and Mako had let him use while their grandmother was around. He hated being in there, the thought of being treated like an animal irritated him to no end, but that was the best the two could do, and so he put up with it for them. He was just getting ready to fall asleep when he heard the back gate open. Intruders were rare, but he couldn't take the risk that someone would try and hurt his Tamers. He silently slipped out of the doghouse and looked around for this new invader.<p>

As Impmon was looking for the new visitor a voice from behind startled him, "Looking for something, my little friend."

Impmon whirled around to see Adman Hows leaning against the back edge of the doghouse. He exhaled as the fighting spirit left him. "Jeez, you gotta nock that off. Are we going to be doing this stuff every night now, cuz my nerves can't take it? Just one night I wanna get some sleep."

Adman lifted the little guy onto the doghouse so he could look at him near eye level. "I need your help with something."

Impmon looked confused. "What can I do to help?"

Adman thought for a second. "You mentioned a girl last time I was here. Jeri. I assume that's Jeri Katou? I had the privilege of meeting her earlier tonight, but I couldn't speak with her that much. After certain events tonight I feel I need to talk to somebody and she sounds like a nice enough shrink. Would you come with me? She might be more willing to see me if she sees a friendly face."

Impmon began glowing and grew into his mega form.

Beelzemon smirked. "Well I don't know about friendly, but I am familiar. Sure I'll help, but after this let me get some sleep, ok?"

Adman nodded.

Beelzemon walked to the back alley and sat down on his motorcycle. "You need a ride?"

Adman had flashbacks of the last time he got on the strange motorcycle. "Are you kidding? No way I'm getting back on that thing. You lead the way and I'll follow."

With that they were gone, with Beelzemon riding through the night and a dark shadow moving silently along the ground chasing after the biker.

* * *

><p>Jeri Katou was resting in bed, her eyes closed, but her mind was too wired to let her sleep. She and Takato had had probably the best day that she had had in years. She was slightly embarrassed about how it ended though. Takato had been so worried about her getting hurt that he took her straight home after the Tyrannomon attacked. They had ridden home silently on the subway. At her front door he had thanked her for a wonderful evening and apologized once more for how it had ended. She gave him a hug and then surprised both of them by planting a small kiss on his cheek. Before he could say anything she had said goodnight and slipped inside. Why had she done that? Even she had no idea. Both of them had come to the agreement that their evening was not a date. Then to go and surprise kiss Takato. She hoped that the act didn't ruin their friendship.<p>

Jeri opened her eyes as she gave up the battle to sleep. The day had been too wonderful and the end too bizarre for her to let it end so soon by sleep. Then she noticed Calumon hovering near her window with those inflated ears of his.

She asked, "Hey there, Calumon. What are you doing?"

The little Digimon did not look away from the window as he answered, "There are Digimon outside."

For a split second Jeri remembered how Leomon had spent a few nights on the edge of her roof near the window. A good memory, but not likely at this point. The other thought scared her. Had wild Digimon followed her home? Why? What could they want? She put on her slippers and moved to the window. From up high she could see two Digimon and a young man outside her window. Beelzemon was one of them and he was gathering small pebbles to throw at the window when he noticed she was already there.

He waved for her to talk to them and she opened up the window to call down, "Hi Beelzemon. Is everything ok?"

Beelzemon whispered, but in his scratchy loud voice it was still quite gruff, "Everything's fine, Jeri. I just brought a friend with me who would like to meet ya."

She looked at the young boy in black and realized he was familiar. "I already met the man next to you earlier tonight, but the Digimon is new."

Adman looked at his dark Digimon. He was surprised she could even see his pitch black form in the darkness of the night. "Yeah, this is Shadowmon. He'll help you down if you're willing to talk with me."

Jeri agreed to the strange request. Beelzemon was there. He wouldn't let anything happen to her. "Sure. I'll come down for a little while, but I can't stay out long."

With that Adman nodded to Shadowmon. One of the foot long spikes slowly left the Digimon's shoulder and as the coil climbed higher and higher Jeri realized how scary the Digimon partner of the young man was. The coil wrapped itself around her body several times like a snake trying to constrict her. She was gently lifted from her window by the powerful Digimon and set down at ground level near the trio. Calumon floated down with his giant ears and rested on her shoulder. Shadowmon let her go and the coil returned to its resting spot on his shoulder.

Adman took off his sunglasses. "My name is Adman Hows. I don't know what Takato or the others have said about me, but try to take it all in with a grain of salt."

Jeri smiled her cheery smile. "Actually the others haven't mentioned you much. All I know about you is that you saved Takato in the park. Thank you for that."

Adman put his back against the wall relaxing. Beelzemon walked away to let the two Tamers get acquainted.

"So were you the guy who hurt Guilmon?" Jeri had blindsided Adman with the question. Her voice was so gentle that it didn't even sound like an accusation.

Adman looked to the ground, slightly ashamed of himself. "Yeah, that was me. Everything went out of control. He should be better soon. I gave Takato something to help the wounds. Hopefully that'll make us cool. I kinda doubt it though."

Jeri shivered in the cold air of the night. Adman slipped off his leather jacket and put it on her shoulders. To her surprise the man had a black leather glove on his right arm that concealed practically the whole arm. She tried not to stare at the man's fashion sense and instead thanked him for the comfort of the jacket.

"No problem."

"So what did you want to talk to me about?"

"My friend over there says you help people with their problems." Adman motioned to Beelzemon.

Jeri looked at the Digimon. "Well I'll always do what I can. What problems do you have?"

"Oh too many to count."

"Just start with the most current one."

"Well for starters Rika now thinks I'm a complete jackass. I tried really hard to be nice to that girl. I even saved her and her Digimon tonight. But I committed the one irredeemable sin."

"What's that?"

"I called her pretty."

"That sounds nice."

"Yeah well nice don't float Rika's boat. She was the one person in this whole damn city who seemed to trust me. Now she thinks I'm scum."

"I don't have any reason to not trust you."

"Thanks. I don't know. I know I'm not part of your group or anything, but I feel like the Tamers of the world need to stay connected. Somehow I've burned that bridge though. Takato doesn't trust me either."

"That's too bad. I'm sure they'll turn around once they get to know you."

Adman smiled for just a second. The girl was cheering him up. Suddenly he shook his head and became more self-conscious. "I'm sorry. I'm sure you don't want to hear about all my problems."

"It's ok."

"No seriously. Um' how was your date with Takato?"

"It wasn't actually a date."

"Ok then. How was your 'evening' with Takato?"

"Very nice. Thank you for helping him. He can't do too much to a Digimon without Guilmon to help out."

"Few humans can."

"Takato said you did quite well on your own."

Adman's features went serious and cold. "I hardly consider myself human anymore."

Jeri felt the man's sadness. "Why is that?"

Adman sighed. "I have a fairly sordid past, Miss Katou. Maybe that's why I was given the dark Digivice."

"Maybe that's just something for you to overcome. You know you don't have to be sad. We all have the ability to change our destiny. We can change ourselves. You can be happy if you want."

"I don't know that I deserve that." Adman shook himself and continued in a cheerier tone, "I'm sorry Jeri. Christ, you just met me and already I'm going to my darker places around you."

"That's ok. You opening up shows you trust me. Thank you for that."

"Perhaps you're just easy to trust. Maybe I should have contacted you about all this. It would have saved me a lot of hassle. So anyway, did you enjoy your evening with Takato?"

"Yes, very much. We had lunch and dinner. We saw a movie. We played at the arcade."

"Sounds like my kinda date. I mean 'evening'."

Jeri hesitated with her next question, "Hey, can I ask you something?"

"It only seems fair."

The question didn't easily come. It seemed foolish to ask such a personal question of someone she just met, but Adman seemed able to observe more than most. He was an outside perspective looking in on them all. She gently asked, "Do you think Takato likes Rika?"

"It's possible. She is a very likable sort, although she doesn't like that fact. I don't know really. I haven't known either of them for that long. I did see him leap in front of a speeding motorcycle to save her, but I've read he's done similar things for you. I just think he's the kinda guy who does things like that for the people he cares about. Why do you want to know? Worried she's called dibs on him?"

Jeri frowned at Adman's sarcastic prodding, "not exactly."

Adman stared at the girl for just a second, trying to read into the girl. Then a smile crept over his features as realization set in. "you do like him! I knew it."

Jeri blushed and looked away. "Well he is a very likeable guy."

Adman encouraged the girl, "Truth be told I think he likes you too."

Calumon's ears popped up excitedly. "He does. It's true. I remember now. He said so." The little eavesdropper floated to the two Tamers.

Jeri looked up at the little Digimon. "He did? When was that?"

Calumon recalled the story, "When we got back from the Digital world with what we thought was you. Takato took the D-reaper agent in disguise all the way to your house on the subway. He was talking to it and he said he liked you."

"As a friend? Something like that?" Jeri was very interested.

Calumon continued, "Nope. He actually specifically said it was more than that. Well technically he said it to the D-reaper agent, but I think it was meant for you. Then he started to cry because you wouldn't talk to him."

Jeri pressed the little Digimon for information, "Oh yeah, then what happened?"

"Then the D-reaper started talking about food or something. I don't know. I think I fell asleep."

With that the little white Digimon flew away and began carrying on a conversation with Beelzemon.

Adman folded his arms across his chest in triumph. "I don't think you can get more proof than that. What do you think about good old Takato now?"

Jeri was in her own little world, but she managed to mumble out, "I guess it was good that I kissed him."

Adman just smiled wittily as Jeri realized what she had said. "Did I just say that out loud?"

The dark Tamer nodded. "Anyway, now that we have your problem solved can we get back to mine? I know from my files that Rika's birthday is coming up."

Jeri's eyes brightened. "Yeah! I'm going to throw her a surprise party. You should come."

Adman shook his head no. "I think that she wouldn't want me to be part of the festivities. Especially since the others don't even know me, except for Takato, who hates my guts. Actually I was thinking that in order to get back in everyone's good graces I'd get her a nice present. What should I get her?"

Jeri laughed. "You know you're the second boy to ask me that question today. You and Takato. I swear Rika gets all the attention."

Adman reminded her, "Yeah, but I don't think Takato has the same feelings for Rika that he does for you."

Jeri went sly. "Do you have those feelings for Rika?"

Adman chuckled, "Not a chance in hell. I have a strict 'no Tamer women' policy; no offense. It doesn't work out well. Trust me." He shouted to Shadowmon, "Hey Shadow, you remember those two girls from New Zealand?"

Shadowmon retorted dryly, "I remember telling you it was a bad idea to get involved with them."

Adman argued subtleties with his Digimon, "As I recall you said it was a bad idea to try for one. You said nothing about both. I confess I may have been overzealous, but I'm certain I would have been able to walk away on better terms had I paced myself better."

Shadowmon replied, "Say what you will, sir. They still hate our guts now."

Jeri coughed and it brought Adman back on topic, "Sorry. I got stuck on a tangent, Miss Katou. In answer to your question, no. It's not a matter of love, but of wisdom. If I can get her back on my side, then bridging the gap between me and the group will be easier. It's strategy that makes me fond of her."

Jeri seemed disappointed, "So this is all a tactic to be closer to the group?"

Adman went back to that sad look in his eye. Whether it was real or a tactic to manipulate the girl's emotions is debatable. "Is it wrong for a man to want friends? I have been alone most of my life. I've been a Tamer for seven years now. That makes me the most experienced Tamer out there. More so than even Ryo. For the longest time I thought I was alone in that too. Then when the D-reaper attacked I saw the others on television. I was busy fighting the reaper in the Digital world, but I swore that I'd find my brothers in arms if we survived the attack. We did and so here I am. I feel we all are kindred spirits. All of us must have been made Tamers for a reason. I don't want to lose this chance to connect with people so like myself. Do you understand?"

Jeri just nodded. "I understand. You can't really force a friendship though."

"I know that, but time is against me. I have other places I need to be so I have to speed up the process."

"Why are you leaving?"

"I've got places to be. I'll be here for a month or so. Then I'm gone."

"When will you be back?"

Adman looked up at the full moon in the sky. "I don't know. By the time I come back you might not remember me. Depending on how I leave that might be a positive."

Jeri felt sad for this strange man. "Well you will be missed. I know that if you want something bad enough you'll get it. As for Rika's present, anything that comes from the heart will be appreciated. Just get her something that means something to you and that you would like. Something she'd cherish."

Adman thought about this. "Something she'd... I think I know what to get her. Thank you, Jeri. And just so you know, I'll miss your wisdom once I'm gone."

Adman said goodbye and left in the silence of the night, walking away as he normally does.

Once he and Shadowmon were alone the fox appeared and commented, "You just lied to that girl. We've known about them for much longer than the D-reaper incident."

Adman didn't debate that fact, "I know, but she doesn't need to know everything. If she knew how we knew about Mister Wong and Miss Nonaka we'd never be welcome again."


	11. Chapter Eleven: Runaway Locomon

_Disclaimer: This work is for purely entertainment purposes and is not for profit. I do not own Digimon or any characters previously seen in Digimon. If anyone who does own Digimon sees this I am more than willing to help with the next season. This chapter also closely follows the Tamers move Runaway Locomon. I do not own that either, but I encourage everyone to watch it. Enjoy._

Chapter Eleven: Runaway Locomon.

Rika was having a less than wonderful birthday. She was talking to Takato on her cell phone while waiting at the train station for the next train home, "I knew something was fishy when we wound up at the museum. Mom like Mizrahi not Monet. You wanna clue me in here?"

Takato was already regretting calling her to check up. "Actually there's a funny story behind it."

"I'm not laughing." The redhead was not amused.

Takato bit his tongue and confessed that there was an elaborate plan to give her a surprise party on her birthday.

She yelled at him through the phone, "I hate surprises! So you're telling me that everyone knew about this little scheme you cooked up but me?"

Takato sighed heavily. He was going to die. Rika was going to find him and kill him. He just knew it. It was time to throw someone else into the firing line. Someone Rika was less inclined to blow up on.

"Well actually it was Jeri's idea. And if we had told you it wouldn't have been a surprise now would it?"

Takato had been talking to Rika through a payphone with a large cardboard box sitting next to him. The box suddenly popped open and Guilmon pocked his head out. "Hey Takato?"

Guilmon had been cramped in the box, but Takato had been putting the red dinosaur in it when he traveled with him for the past few weeks. Otherwise the attention he got was overbearing. He quickly jumped on the box to conceal his Digimon.

Rika listened to the boy wrestle with his Digimon over the phone. After a few seconds she interrupted the two, "Listen, I'm sure you both meant well, but just cancel it, ok?"

Just then a dark blue train came whooshing by on the tracks going far faster than was allowed in the area. The female tamer hung up the phone and began running away from the station on an intercept course for the runaway train. Something about it seemed off. Her mother called after her, but she paid no attention. The adventurer's instinct had kicked in.

* * *

><p>Takato had realized Rika was no longer on the other line and hung up the phone. Despite Rika's anger and his approaching funeral he couldn't just tell Jeri that the party was off. Everyone was coming. Hell everyone was already there. Ryo, Ai and Mako had come a long way to be there to celebrate Rika's fifteenth birthday. The others would be arriving at Rika's house shortly. Jeri had bought the cake and everyone had gotten presents. It was a big deal. As the young tamer was walking through a city street a television news blurb caught his attention: <em>'we have breaking news at this hour of a runaway train heading toward the west side of town'<em>.

Takato called to Guilmon, who was still in his box, "Let's go, boy."

Takato and Rika were both unaware that they were both heading to intercept the same train at different points.

* * *

><p>Adman was walking through the dustiest layer of the Digital world. Luckily a wind storm hadn't blown up yet, otherwise passage would be near impossible. Shadowmon walked alongside him carrying the large gym bag that held Rika's present. Adman had come here once before for such items and they were not easy to get. You had to know the right creatures and know how to talk to them. Then there were the tests and the pound of flesh that was always required. He sighed. After all that he still had no idea if the girl would like it. Today was the day he'd find out though. He was heading back to his personal portal. Yamaki's firewall was slowly taking over the Digital world, but Adman had ways around that. The sky above was now a crimson shade. Everything the firewall touched became like that. Digimon couldn't pass through it, nor could humans for that matter. Even in America the plan was taking hold. Luckily Adman had thought ahead. He had installed his own personal firewall, but with a private password to lower it. Yamaki didn't seem to question or notice why one insignificantly small section of the Digital world was pre-firewalled.<p>

As the young man was nearing his destination his digivice went off. It began to beep and so he took it from his pocket and watched the compass swivel until it located the target.

Adman cursed under his breathe, "Today of all days!"

He had a duty in the Digital world to investigate these anomalies and right them when he could. The dark Tamer checked his watch. He had time. He could dispatch the troublesome Digimon, or whatever the problem was, and still get to Rika's house to drop off the gift before the party started. He did an about face and followed the compass in the greatest speed he could on foot.

* * *

><p>Takato was running to the nearest train station. He hoped the others had seen the broadcast. The more help he could get to stop a runaway train the better. Guilmon slid down the railing on the stairs Takato was going down. They had made it to the tracks on the west side of town. Now to see if the train had come by yet. Takato peeked his head out. Sure enough the dark blue train was just barely on the horizon. Perfect! He could have Guilmon stop the train and be back in time to see Rika's face when the party started.<p>

Takato pulled out his digivice. "Ready, Guilmon?"

The Digimon nodded a yes.

Digivolution swept through the little red dinosaur. A red sphere of data swarmed around Guilmon. When it subsided Guilmon had become Growlmon, his champion form. The patterns and shape hadn't changed much. He was now the same size as Tyrannomon, though thinner and slightly more muscular. A white patch of hair had sprouted from the top of the dinosaurs head. He seemed more mature now, somehow. His features were more serious and vicious. The giant red dinosaur stood on the tracks ready to intercept. Takato was surprised to hear his digivice beep. He looked at it and it was streaming him data about a Digimon. Locomon. Ultimate level.

Takato was surprised, "The train is a Digimon."

The speeding Locomon slammed into the dinosaur and, for a second, stopped moving. Only for a second though. The train seemed to gain more power and then pushed the large dinosaur off the tracks. Takato knew if he lost the train it would be near impossible to get to it again. With all the speed he could muster he caught up to the last car of the train and jumped on.

The train had been picking up speed after the sudden stop, but the boy was able to call out to his Digimon before Growlmon went out of sight, "Get Henry. Tell him to get the others. You can do it."

With that Takato was the first one on the Locomon, but unfortunately his Digimon had gotten left behind.

* * *

><p>Henry was walking down the sidewalk with Suzie, Lopmon and Terriermon in tow. They had been riding the railroad back from a relative's to get to Rika's party, but thanks to the crazy train on the tracks they had to walk the rest of the way. There was a clap of thunder which brought Henry's eyes up. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. There was a large black swirling vortex hovering over downtown.<p>

Henry picked Suzie up piggyback style and started running toward it. "It's some sort of digital zone. We need to close it."

Terriermon ran after his tamer. "When things go wrong with us they go really wrong."

* * *

><p>Adman had found the same digital distortion that Henry was now seeing, but from a very different angle. Inside the Digital world the winds had picked up and a swirling vortex of gust and blackness was traveling from the ground all the way up to the material world. He was observing it from a large plateau near where the vortex touched down. He had his telescope out.<p>

The dark Tamer complained, "I wish I had brought my rifle. I hate being able to see stuff from far away, but not shoot at it."

Shadowmon ignored the statement. "Whatever is causing this seems to be occurring on the other side."

Adman collapsed his spyglass. "There's nothing in the human world that can spontaneously create a digital vortex like this. It seems to be picking up too. If it goes any faster Digimon in the area will be swept up and transported to the human world."

Shadowmon looked out on the scene. "That might actually be the plan."

Adman knew his partner was smarter than it's animal nature let on. "What do you sense?"

"I'm not certain, but I feel as if there's already something down there waiting for the gate to open. The firewall in this area prevents Digimon from getting through under normal conditions, but the vortex seems to be penetrating the defenses just the same."

Adman suddenly realized something. "We are in the area directly underneath Japan, aren't we?"

Shadowmon looked at the sky. "That seems about right."

Adman chuckled. "I'd bet money I know exactly where this vortex is opening up in the human world."

Shadowmon looked at his tamer with some disbelief. "You don't think anything would be stupid enough to attack the Tamers do you?"

Adman checked his weapons. "I'm betting some Digimon thinks it's a tough guy. Time for us to teach it a lesson. You and I will kill whatever wants to go through and shut down the vortex from this end ourselves."

Shadowmon stared off into the vortex. "Then we'd better act soon. Once this vortex goes critical we won't be able to do it on our own. It will take a weakening from both ends."

* * *

><p>Takato was trying to get to the caboose. He had gone through several old time-y train cars and climbed over one of them to get within two cars of his goal. He looked at the devices inside the train and realized he had no clue on what a brake on a train actually looked like, much less what it would look like inside a Digimon. For all he knew the brake could be staring right at him.<p>

As he stared blankly at the controls a voice from behind him startled him, "Aren't you a little young to be driving?"

Takato turned around to see Rika and Renamon in the car with him. "Hey how'd you get here?"

Rika looked up and Takato realized they had jumped down onto the train. He decided not to ask questions. Together they decided to try and douse the hot coals of the steam engine with a blast of water. Luckily Takato had such a card and Rika used it on Renamon. A large his and a whoosh of steam was all they got for their troubles.

Takato shrugged. "Too bad."

Renamon sarcastically deadpanned, "At least your pours are clean."

Rika quickly added, "Too bad your conscience isn't as clean as your face."

Takato began to defend his involvement in the surprise party before she demanded he shut up. Then they heard a roar of engines. Something very familiar. A motorcycle.

* * *

><p>Beelzemon had gotten on his bike as soon as he saw the news. He was pulling up alongside the train traveling at extreme speeds. "Coming through! Don't worry, I got this."<p>

Beelzemon pulled up next to the speeding head car and began to fire on it with his double barrel shotgun. "Double impact!"

The shots bounced off the metal of the train like he was using a pea shooter.

He grumbled, "That is one callus caboose."

A cable shot out from the body of Locomon and whipped Beelzemon across the face. He lost his balance and fell over going well over a hundred. The bike exploded somewhere in the back and the Digimon had to pick himself up off the ground.

* * *

><p>Adman was hoofing it down the plateau to the base of the vortex in the Digital world. They had made it, but it was hard to tell if they could do anything. The wind had picked up so much that it was hard to stay grounded. Both Digimon and tamer looked around; sensing danger. There was nothing around, but they were still on guard.<p>

"So what's the plan, my shadowy partner in crime?"

Shadowmon walked further into the vortex. "I'll plant myself in the ground and start spinning my cables in the reverse direction of the vortex. Hopefully if I can get it up to the same speed it should nullify the vortex."

"I think I saw that done in a Superman movie."

Adman watched as his Digimon melted into the ground. The black shadow on the ground spread the length of the vortex as six cables sprouted from the ground inside the shadowy circle. Then they began to spin in the opposite direction of the vortex. Adman suddenly realized that with his Digimon preoccupied with the task of stopping the vortex he was all alone. Sure he had moves and he was stronger than most humans, but it helped if he could get juiced up by his Digimon. The backup was greatly appreciated. He suddenly really missed his sniper rifle. With it he could have covered the area from the safety of the plateau.

Something hissed behind him, "What are you doing here, little human?"

Adman turned around. There was nothing. Then something came from the nothingness. Light bent and he could see the thing which had been cloaked seconds before. Invisibility huh. No wonder they had sensed what they couldn't see. The creature was so hideous Adman kind of wished the thing had stayed cloaked. It was a ten foot tall purple spider with one giant eyeball. There were green tentacles sprouting from it. One shot at the dark tamer. In a flash the tentacle was severed by Adman's swift blade. He pulled out his handgun from his holster and began firing into it as fast as he could, backpedaling as he went. One lucky shot hit the creature in the eye. The eyeball exploded and the creature began flailing; now completely blind. Adman slid down below the flailing arms and underneath to the soft underbelly of the beast. With his sword he stabbed upward and made a long cut down the belly of the beast. The innards came spilling out, some onto him.

He groaned, "Goddamnit, I have a party I need to be at in an hour!"

* * *

><p>The creature flailed, fell over and broke up into bits of data; dead as a doornail. He brushed the goo from himself and then with a sickening feeling squeezed some more from his hair. He shook his gloved hand in utter disgust. At least it died without too much hassle. Then as he turned around he had to groan, "Oh it's gonna be a long day."<p>

Several more of the creatures had de-cloaked in place of their fallen brother.

Takato and Rika were working on a plan when Rika's cell rang.

She answered it before handing it off to Takato. "It's for you."

Takato put the phone to his ear. It was Yamaki. Although Takato still respected the shadow government leader of Hypnos the others had less than benevolent feeling for him. After all Yamaki had sealed their only entrance to the Digital world. If it hadn't been for Adman they would never have seen their Digimon again. Yamaki had taken over the railroad network headquarters and was devising a plan to reroute Locomon into the vortex. Apparently the Digimon had been going in circles around the downtown area at such a speed that a digital vortex had been created. Yamaki was going to use it to their advantage. All Takato and Rika had to do was be off the train when it entered the vortex. Takato was happy, but Rika was less than thrilled. With Hypnos there was always only a half understanding about how things worked. Half their ideas designed to help had caused more harm than good.

She turned away from Takato. "I don't see why we have to bring him into this. Let's stop this train ourselves."

With that she headed toward the main car leaving Takato and Renamon to wonder why she was in such a poor mood.

* * *

><p>Takato had just gotten off the phone with Yamaki. Rika returned from the engine room looking wrong. She was the same in most ways, but her eyes had changed somehow. They were glazed over and distant, unable to focus on anything in front of her. She was carrying a massive wrench. Takato ignored all these things at his peril.<p>

"So are we ready to get off this crazy train?"

She walked past him like she was in a trance. When he reached out to her she turned and swung the massive wrench like a club. She was attacking them! Bits of train car were demolished as Takato and Renamon dodged Rika's attacks.

Rika mumbled something that seemed distant, "Do not interfere. I want to sing."

Takato was confused, but Renamon was simply on edge. She couldn't attack her Tamer, but she also couldn't just let Takato get hurt. That really only left one, unfortunately unpleasant, option.

* * *

><p>Henry, Kazu, Kenta, and their respective Digimon had devised a plan to help out. Guardromon was pushing a single train car along the tracks next to Locomon with his powerful boosters. The others were inside watching the train get closer and closer. When they were nearly upon it they saw Renamon get slammed out a glass window in one of the passenger cars. Guardromon was quick enough to catch her. They followed alongside the train hoping not to see Takato follow Renamon's example.<p>

* * *

><p>Takato was running for his life. He couldn't bring himself to attack Rika either which meant avoiding her. What was strangest was that while she was swinging the massive wrench and nearly taking his head off she was singing a happy tune. He didn't have much time to listen to it though, and as he ran to the next car his options became even more limited. He fell and Rika swung over him. She missed the boy completely, but managed to break off the door handle to the next car. With that gone Takato had to climb up a ladder to avoid the girl. On top of the speeding Locomon was an unwise place to be on any day. Takato climbed anyway, because the alternative of getting a wrench through the skull was unappealing.<p>

* * *

><p>Adman was dealing with equally unappealing circumstances. He had dropped six of the creatures already. He slapped a fresh magazine into his handgun and began firing again, aiming for the giant eyeballs of the great spiders. They just kept on coming. He was having trouble with the numbers, but so far he was dodging fairly well. He split another one through lengthwise with his sword.<p>

"Seven."

He severed the legs of blind arachnids and put a few bullets into them to finish them off.

"Eight and nine."

Green digital blood spurted all over him. He was starting to take the fight personal.

"I should be eating cake right now!"

He began slashing furiously.

"Ten, eleven, twelve!"

The creatures all suddenly stopped. The swirling vortex was slowing down on this end, but somehow it had increased on the other end. The spiders were being picked up and floating towards the human world. Adman and Shadowmon had failed. The spiders were going to breach. All he could do was thin the numbers. He fired over and over downing flying purple arachnids as they began entering the human world.

* * *

><p>Takato was atop the speeding train. Rika had followed, still singing the happy melody. He backed away as best he could. The wrench was gone, but she stills seemed menacing. Suddenly the train car blew up behind them. The main engine had been severed from the passenger cars. Guilmon had somehow boarded the train and was climbing up onto the roof to join his tamer, though Rika hadn't noticed the little red Digimon. Takato did notice something about Rika though. The blast had weakened the camouflage of whatever was attached to her back. It had eight legs and green tentacles coiled around Rika.<p>

Takato backed away. "I don't want to frighten you, Rika, but you have something on your back."

* * *

><p>Henry pulled out his digivice upon seeing the creepy thing on Rika's back. Data poured in.<p>

"Parasimon. Parasite Digimon."

Terriermon pointed to the caboose. "Rika got the runt of the litter."

A larger Parasimon had appeared on the face of Locomon, evidently realizing its disguise no longer worked.

Takato tried reaching his friend. "Rika, please listen to me! You have to fight it."

A red laser beam shot from one of the tentacles. Takato fell on his butt to dodge it. It fired again and again. He rolled away and just barely caught the edge of the train to keep from falling off. As Rika, infected by the Parasimon, moved in for the kill Guilmon slammed his claw down into the parasite on her back. The creature exploded from the blow and Rika dropped to the ground, released from its control. Guilmon helped his tamer from the edge of the train. Takato got up just in time to see the girl start to roll to the other edge of the train. Rika was just regaining consciousness when she went over the edge.

* * *

><p>Rika didn't quite remember what had happened. She remembered that she had been in the engine room. Something had grabbed her. Then there was something else. She remembered a scene from her childhood. Something from long ago. The young girl was five in her memory. She was swinging on a swing set and singing. Someone was there with her. She knew instinctively that the man had been her father. He had left her mother not long after that. She hadn't seen him in all that time and she secretly missed him. The dream had brought back old emotions. She didn't like that. Then she realized she was falling. She screamed and reached out and then she was stopped. Takato had thrown himself to the edge of the train and caught her hand. Guilmon was holding onto him and together they were both basically dangling from the car.<p>

Rika realized they were still sliding, though very slowly. "Let go. If you don't we'll both go down."

Takato wasn't known for his stern voice, but as a leader he knew when to use it. "What's happened to you, Rika? The girl I know would never give up this easily. Just hold on and we'll make it somehow."

A window slid open in the car and a familiar yellow fox peeked her head out. "Miss me?"

Takato couldn't believe it. Renamon still had the energy to get back on the train and save Rika even after being decked out the window. Takato swung the girl to Renamon. The train shifted. The last car was being detached. They were being disconnected from Locomon. Rika ran for the main car. Renamon was still injured and was not quick enough to follow. Rika leapt to the caboose and opened the door. Multiple green tentacles coiled around her. _Not again!_ She called out to Renamon, Takato and anyone who could help.

* * *

><p>Takato leapt off the train with Guilmon right below him. They knew what needed to be done. A flash of light enveloped them both. The rare human-Digimon hybrid was being formed. They were biomerging. When the light diminished Takato and Guilmon were no more. Instead a twelve foot tall knight in white shining armor had taken their place. Gallantmon, Guilmon's mega form, had a giant shield with a hazard symbol on the front in his left hand and a long white lance in his right. The red flowing cape completed the change. The two that had become one landed on the roof of the last car, the caboose of Locomon, where Rika was being held. The giant insect held her like a human shield.<p>

Gallantmon spoke, using both Guilmon and Takato's voices merged together, "Let he go!"

In a fluid motion Gallantmon cut the tentacles that attacked him. Then it was the knights turn at an offensive. He slashed the tentacle that held the girl and she flew towards the rear of the train. Renamon appeared and caught the girl, freeing her from the remaining cords.

Gallantmon was angry. "You big bully. You've been controlling Rika and this Locomon."

Renamon added in, "But thanks to him we got to hear a beautiful song."

Gallantmon ignored the fox's wise remarks. With one quick jab he ran Parasimon completely through the eyeball. The Digimon broke into data and Gallantmon was feeling victorious. That lasted for all of two seconds. Multiple Parasimon began falling from the sky as the portal completely opened. The revelation hit him. Parasimon had used Locomon to create a portal so all the other Parasimon could come to the human world. What to do now?

* * *

><p>Adman was alone. The Parasimon had vanished. He knew what he had to do.<p>

"Shadowmon. I'm going to the human world through the portal. You keep doing what you're doing."

Shadowmon answered, "I was just going to suggest you do the same thing. The portal has gone critical. I can slow it on this end, but it will still be permanent unless we can stop it on the other end. We'll need a very powerful attack directed into the portal to seal it once my end is complete. Now hurry and go through."

Adman leapt into the portal, dodging Shadowmon's whirling coils. He was lifted up and forced into the human world. Even as he was falling the dark warrior was killing Parasimon with pistol and sword. As the ground approached he sheathed his weapon and grappled onto a street light with his right hand. The shock would have ripped the arm clean off of a normal man, but he was not a normal man. Instead the light bent under the weight and acceleration of the fall. Adman dropped down and popped his arm back into its socket with a painful tug. He wasn't normal, but he wasn't invincible either. With his arm repaired he continued fighting. The others were fighting in the distance. Gallantmon was joined by the other biomerged megas. Terriermon and Henry had become Megagargomon, a seven story tall green robot with the face of a metal dog and rockets for shoulders. That mega clubbed Parasimon with his fists before unleashing a salvo of rockets. Rika and Renamon had merged together to become Sakuyamon. She was a twelve foot tall gorgeous sorceress Digimon. Gold armor over black covering did little to hide the graceful figure of the mega. She carried a staff that she used to send flurries of spirits to attack her enemies. Ryo had even arrived in his mega form. Cyberdramon had become Justimon. He was the smallest of the group at about eleven foot tall, but he could slam his hand into the ground causing a killer shockwave. Then the duo would turn their arm into a red crimson blade and eviscerate their enemies. Adman was impressed. They worked well together. He was glad he hadn't picked a fight with any of the biomerged megas. This fusion of human and Digimon was something that amazed him. He'd heard about it, but never actually seen it.

Farther out there were Guardromon and MarineAngemon taking out waves of Parasimon with rockets and a weird bubble attack that did surprising amounts of damage. Beelzemon had even linked up with Suzie, defending her and Lopmon. The only tamer not present was Jeri who was still at Rika's house working on the surprise party.

Adman killed more than he could count. His pistol ran dry and suddenly he was facing down Parasimon with just his sword. One Parasimon sent a parasite onto his back to control him, but his sword went behind and cut it before it could take control. He was in a dangerous way. The dark Tamer held his ground and focused on the closest Parasimon. It vanished as an attack hit it. Beelzemon was picking off Parasimon for him.

"Never bring a knife to a gunfight."

Adman chuckled, "But it's a sword."

Beelzemon finished defending Adman, the Parasimon all dead, and then waved. "I gotta get Suzie outta here safe. See ya at the party."

* * *

><p>The others were doing well too, but the enemies just kept coming. Soon the group would be overwhelmed by sheer numbers. Then something happened. Gallantmon flashed and turned into something new. Adman had seen this before. A mode change. Not a Digivolution, but an augment of style and power. This new Gallantmon was crimson with white wings instead of a cape. Its shield was replaced with a sword made entirely out of light. Gallantmon in his new mode broke free and launched a massive blast directly into the portal. That was the catalyst Adman had needed. The portal was collapsing. Without reinforcements the Parasimon quickly fell. The Locomon returned to the Digital world and the rest of the Tamers, with victory in their hearts, went to Rika's for a party.<p> 


	12. Chapter Twelve: The Gloves Come Off

_Disclaimer: This work is for purely entertainment purposes and is not for profit. I do not own Digimon or any characters previously seen in Digimon. If anyone who does own Digimon sees this I am more than willing to help with the next season. This chapter also follows the ending of the Tamers movie Runaway Locomon. I do not own that either, but I encourage everyone to watch it. Enjoy._

Chapter Twelve: The Gloves Come Off

Adman watched from one of the trees Renamon always liked to rest in as the party went on. He didn't want to be a part of it. That was a lie. He wanted badly to be a part of it. To belong with them. To belong with anyone, but he didn't. In all likelihood he probably never would. Yet he had to try. The Tamers were vital for his future. If he couldn't be a friend he could at least count them as reinforcements should he need them. Tactics was trumping his inner humanity at the moment. He watched and waited for the girl of honor to leave the rest of her guests. Rika sat down on the edge of her porch by a small pond. He was about to make his move when he noticed Takato approaching the girl. Adman tilted his head in surprise. The girl was in a sad mood. Adman could tell. Then there was Takato. Takato was going to comfort her. Perhaps his assessment on Takato's feelings for Rika had been wrong. It didn't matter. He would be gone from their lives in a matter of days. He just had to leave her a gift and talk to one more person. Then he would be gone.

Renamon appeared from one of the rooms and pulled Takato away as he was trying to get to Rika. Apparently the Digimon thought her Tamer needed some time alone. Perfect. If Renamon was keeping Takato busy then she wasn't keeping watch. Adman didn't want to fight Renamon. Shadowmon wasn't here to boost his abilities and he wouldn't be for some time. It didn't matter. He wasn't there to fight.

Adman leapt down into the garden and approached the girl. She was in deep though and so she didn't see him coming until he was standing next to her.

He flipped a coin to the girl. "Penny for your thoughts."

Rika looked at the coin. "This is a quarter."

"It's your birthday so I figured there'd be interest."

"Funny."

"So what troubles you?"

"Well for starters you've broken into my house."

"I intend to leave after I give you my gift, but first I noticed that you're sad. Tell me what's wrong and I'll give you my gift and you'll never have to see me again."

Rika liked that deal. "I was just thinking about my dad."

"How is he?"

"That's the thing. I don't know. He divorced my mom when I was young and I haven't seen him since. I do kinda miss him."

Adman sat next to the girl, shifting his duffle bag. "I understand. It's hard not to see a loved one. I lost my folks young. I know exactly how you feel. Life isn't always fair, especially to the young."

Rika was surprised. She hadn't asked the man to open up like that and yet he had. She was also surprised that she kinda felt happy to see him. The Parasimon incident had made her happy to see familiar faces even if it was an ass like Adman.

"So what did you get me?"

Adman unzipped his duffle bag and pulled out a long object wrapped in cloth. "These are extremely rare. From the Digital world, you know."

Adman handed her the object and let her take off the cloth. Inside was a beautifully crafted samurai sword. The scabbard was hard and sturdy. She looked at the hilt of the blade. The handle was actually a carved Renamon getting ready to use the diamond storm attack. The arms were crossed and the eyes were closed. Rika unsheathed the blade. It was beautiful, and the craftsmanship was brilliant. She smirked at the bizarre gift.

Adman undid his own sword from his belt and set it alongside hers. "They are custom made. You have to find a group of DigiGnomes that specialize in metal work. Then if you can sweet talk them enough they will forge you one hell of a blade. Made from solid chrome-digizoid, the strongest metal of two worlds. That blade will never break or bend. Mine has a slightly different design to yours though."

Rika eyed Adman's blade. The blade was not samurai, but more the blade of old English knights. The cross hilt was that of a dragon with its wings spread wide acting as the actual cross hilt. The mouth fed to the blade while the tail ended in a club for a no slip grip.

Rika sheathed her sword as Adman continued, "I hope you like it. It wasn't easy to get. And although I know you typically have Renamon for defense there is never anything wrong with a little added protection. The gnomes called it the Protector sword. Said that 'it will always be there to defend its wielder'. They do love their prophecies."

Rika actually took a good look at the man for the first time. He was covered in dried-on slime. He smelt awful too.

She laughed at his appearance. "What happened to you?"

Adman brushed some of it off. "Long day's work in the killing fields."

Rika set the sword to her side. "Would you like to come in for some birthday cake?"

Adman was surprised. He had never been involved in something like that. He'd gone to birthday parties before, but normally he hosted them. He also normally knew most of the people there. Here all he knew of most of them was what he read in a file. He shook his head no and stood.

"Your offer is most generous, miss Nonaka, but I'll have to pass. This is your day. Spend it with your friends."

Rika smiled slightly. "You know it's strange to think that we've only had the Digimon for about a month now. It seems longer. Like a lifetime."

Adman strapped his own blade back to his hip. "Perhaps time slows down for you when you're happy."

Rika pushed his leg slightly at his comment. Adman wasn't sure, but he thought it was perhaps the first time any of them had come into contact with him in a friendly way.

She looked up at the man. "And ever since we got them back you've been a part of our lives. Maybe not directly, but we can see you acting behind the scenes. Beelzemon saw you fighting the same Parasimon today in the city streets. Thank you for your help."

Adman was starting to get creeped out by the girl's kindness. It was too out of place for her. Normally she'd tell him to fuck off and then send Renamon after him. Something must have happened to the girl that had thrown her off her game. Then again who was he to say what was normal. Perhaps he'd just had the misfortune of catching her on off days.

"You're welcome."

"Come have some cake. Jeri will be happy to see you and I know Beelzemon could use some cheering up. He lost his motorcycle today. Even Takato is warming up to you."

Adman nodded his head. He would go with her if she really insisted.

* * *

><p>Adman was uneasy as he followed the girl into her home. At any time one of the partnered Digimon could recognize him as the attacker of Renamon and Guilmon and strike. While he was pretty sure he could at least repel one of the weaker ones if push came to shove a fight in the enclosed area of the house was very unappealing to him. He passed by Jeri on the way to Rika's living room.<p>

Jeri was in a very bubbly mood. "You decided to show up after all! Did you find that certain special gift for Rika?"

Rika heard the girl and held up the powerful samurai sword.

Jeri giggled. "Well it's unconventional, but somehow it fits Rika pretty well."

Adman followed Rika into the main room where everyone was enjoying themselves. Kazu and Kenta were singing a song on a home karaoke machine. As the man in black entered the room everything went silent. Adman was afraid of this. Rika noticed his uneasiness and dragged him further into the room. "Everyone, this is Adman Hows. He's a friend of mine and the person responsible for bringing back the Digimon." Nobody said anything. Adman smiled at Rika's comment. _Friend?_ That one simple word filled him with hope. He was a part of the group. It had been a bumpy road getting there, but Rika had been his in to the rest of the group. All things were going according to plan.

Ryo had been sitting next to his bulky black winged demon Digimon, Cyberdramon. He stood up and walked through the party to the new person in the group. For just a second the two stared at each other. These were the only two humans to ever survive over a month in the Digital world. Adman had heard stories of this brave Tamer.

Ryo held out his hand in the offer of a firm handshake. "Thank you for bringing Cyberdramon back to me."

Adman warmly clasped the boy's hand. "No problem."

The party seemed to return to life at this.

Ryo laughed, "He must have been a hassle to round up."

Adman recalled the tale, "He gave me and Shadowmon a run for our money, but after telling him I was bringing him back to you he calmed down a bit."

Kazu called over to the dark warrior, "Yeah where is this partner of yours? I hear he's almost as scary as Cyberdramon."

Adman focused on Kazu. "Well then you heard wrong. He's far scarier. Unfortunately Shadowmon was left back in the Digital world to make sure the portal stayed shut. I'll have to pick him up later, but for now it's just me."

Kenta called back, "I thought Impmon said you were fighting the Parasimon today."

Adman tapped the sword at his side. "Tooth and nail, my friend."

Kenta looked at the warrior in disbelief. "You mean you took those things on without your Digimon?"

"Well he was busy so I had to take care of business by myself. I lost count after seventeen kills though."

Most everyone was impressed by the warrior.

Terriermon chimed in, "Big deal! I got that in one volley."

Henry replied to the rabbit, "Yes, but we're a giant robotic fighting machine. He's just… Some guy. It's a little different."

Kazu called over to the boy in black, "Hey thanks for bringing back Guardromon too."

The group shouted out a unified thank you. Ai and Mako even came up and hugged Adman's legs.

Kazu walked over to Adman with his stack of cards. "Hey there's only really one way to get to know somebody. Get your Digimon cards out and let's throw down."

Adman tapped the slim card box at his side. "I only have a few modify cards on me for emergencies. I haven't card battled another person in years. However when Shadowmon gets here I'm sure he'll be glad to throw down against Guardromon in some friendly competition. Or he and I could go a few rounds. I'm sure I could handle him."

Impmon called over arrogantly, "Yeah listen to you. You think you're some hot stuff. I tell you I'd put you in your place."

Adman turned to the little imp in a competitive mood. "Is that so? You're a foot tall, you mouthy little pipsqueak. I'm bigger than you, I'm stronger than you, and I'll trump you at anything, anytime, any day of the week."

Impmon changed into his mega form in a flash of light. "Is that a challenge? Well put your money where that big mouth of yours is."

Adman looked to Rika. "I'm screwed now aren't I?"

She nodded.

Adman pulled out his wallet. "Absolutely. I not only wager all the contents of my wallet, but enough to buy you a new bike. Here's the stakes. You beat me in arm wrestling and I'll pay for a new bike."

Beelzemon laughed. "Fair enough. And if you should somehow win?"

Adman thought for a moment. "Then you admit you're just a little wimp in a buff body."

Beelzemon agreed, "Fair enough."

* * *

><p>The two competitors were outside sitting with a box between the two. Adman popped his knuckles.<p>

Takato was talking to Beelzemon, "Now don't hurt him too badly, Beelzemon. He may be an egomaniac, but he's still human."

Adman patted Takato's arm. "I didn't know you cared."

Beelzemon flexed. "No worries."

Adman pushed Kazu and Kenta away to get to his spot. "Takato, if you're betting against me that's ok, but I promise you'll be losing your money."

The two contenders placed their elbows on the box and clasped hands. Beelzemon's claws rested on the back of Adman's right hand.

Ryo was acting as referee. "Now I want a clean arm wrestle. Don't kill each other over this. Go!"

Beelzemon gave a mighty heave and nearly ended it right there. Adman's fist was only inches from the edge of the box. The black gloved fist shook with exertion and Adman's right arm was getting large and bulky as the muscle expanded under the new strain. The leather sleeve of the jacket grew tight around his bulging bicep. Nobody at the table except Adman could believe what they saw. This young human was pushing Beelzemon's hand back to neutral.

Beelzemon chuckled, "You're tough fer a human. Maybe I need to put a little more power in it."

Beelzemon pushed harder and Adman's arm tilted further back. Adman Hows was holding his own against a mega level Digimon. Adman growled and pushed harder. Beelzemon went back to neutral and then slightly into the losing side.

Kazu came running into the house. "Adman and Beelzemon are throwing down an awesome arm wrestling match!"

Rika looked over at the boy. "You mean Beelzemon didn't beat him outright?"

"No! In fact right now your horse is winning!"

Rika scowled, _'My horse? I'm not betting on this.'_

Rika and Jeri came out to watch the fight. Beelzemon's arm shook as did Adman's. The strain was putting intense stress on both of them.

Adman's jacket was beginning to split under the expansion. Beelzemon's nails bit deep into Adman's hand drawing that strange black blood. Adman's fingers tore through his gloves and dark black nails bit into Beelzemon's hand as well.

Beelzemon smirked. "Ya got quite a fer a human. I might need to go to fifty percent power".

Rika was watching the fight with subdued excitement.

Jeri was next to her cheering, "Go, Adman, go!"

Ai and Mako were there cheering on their Digimon. Nobody expected the match to be this close. A bead of sweat went down into Beelzemon's eye as he started to win again.

Rika saw that Beelzemon was holding back. The fact that Adman even had a chance was unbelievable.

Rika tossed her calm support behind the underdog. "Kick his butt, Adman."

Both Ryo and Takato turned to look at the duo of cheering ladies. Jeri wasn't a surprise, but Rika rarely supported anyone. The spirit of the man was admirable though. Adman's fist was leaking blood down onto the box as Beelzemon's nails bit deep in an attempt to gain grip.

Adman tilted his head towards the girls and then back to Beelzemon. "Ladies. You gotta love um."

With that Adman's entire arm surged with power.

Beelzemon replied, "Fifty percent it is then."

Adman's arm was being pushed back despite his efforts.

Adman cursed under the thought of losing, "fuuuuuuu…."

The box they had been using suddenly shattered under the strain. Beelzemon got up angrily. He'd been denied victory.

Adman patted the demon Digimon on the shoulder. "Hey no worries. I'll still buy you the bike."

Rika pulled on Adman's bulging right arm and quietly alerted him to what everyone else had already noticed, "Your hand."

Adman realized that his glove had completely shredded. Black blood flowed freely down fierce black claws. He concealed it in his jacket. "Excuse me. Do you have a bathroom I can use?"

* * *

><p>Adman let the cold water of the tap run into his wounds and clean them. The black blood flowed from his hand through the rips in the leather. His fingers dangled from the now destroyed glove. Each finger was shaped into a point, a type of claw. The fingers were black and withered, but somehow longer than the ones on his left hand. There was a knock on the bathroom door. He opened it with his left hand; allowing Rika to enter.<p>

"Did you bring it?"

Rika handed him the same bottle of concentrated data he had given to Renamon. He pulled the cork with his teeth and poured the liquid down onto his hand. The holes where Beelzemon's nails had dug in disappeared.

Adman flexed his hand. "Good as new. It's purely a superficial heal, but until I can get home to my medical bag that's the best I can do."

Rika watched the black withered hand move. "So you aren't human?"

Adman looked at the hand thoughtfully. "You know there are days I wonder that myself. I was born human, but I'm not what I once was. I'm sure you've noticed by now that Shadowmon isn't your normal Digimon. In fact if you pointed your Digivice at him you wouldn't get any data on him. That's because there is no Shadowmon in the encyclopedia of Digimon. I was originally partnered with a Renamon, just like you. I made Shadowmon, and in a way he made me."

Rika watched the man tare off his long black glove revealing a black warped arm. In a few minutes Adman Hows had changed from bizarre character to full-on sideshow freak. It was hard to look away from such things.

He continued, "My blood flows through him. It keeps the unnatural form stable. It gave him his stellar personality too. Unfortunately the operation had consequences. Data backed up from his body into my arm. It corrupted me and warped my arm into what you see today. It nearly killed me, but it made me stronger too. So to answer your question: no. I am no longer one hundred percent human, but I use every day trying to reclaim bits and pieces of my lost humanity."

He pulled off his other glove. That one was just a hand glove, but made to match the other one. His left hand was very much human.

Rika asked, "Do you mind if I touch it?"

Adman extended the hand delicately to the girl. "Any time."

She examined the strong black palm. His arm almost appeared burnt.

"How far up does this go?"

Adman took his jacket off to show her. "All the way to the shoulder. Frankly I don't know why it stopped there. It's not all bad though. It gave me great strength and speed."

Rika followed the cracked lines of the arm all the way to his shoulder with her hand. She was mesmerized by this strange hybrid. She had herself become a Digimon, but this was something new. The arm looked deadly, and somehow contagious. "I'm …sorry."

Adman slipped his jacket on. "It's not your fault. Anyway, there's no hiding it now. I should be going. I don't want to disrupt your party any more than I already have. It was fun though."

Rika gripped the ruined arm until Adman turned to look to her.

Rika released it and folded her arms across her chest haughtily. "I'm not going to beg you to stay. If you want to go, then go. Nobody's kicking you out though. Jeri wants you to stay and I know Kazu wants to hear more about your arm. They won't judge you for it. They're good people."

Adman patted her on the shoulder with his human hand. He was surprised she had touched his dark hand. Nobody ever wanted to touch those wicked claws. The idea of having people welcoming him in was too much for Adman to refuse. After all it had been what he had wanted, but he hadn't expected it to play out as it had. "If you insist."


	13. Chapter Thirteen: Opinions & Perceptions

_Disclaimer: This work is for purely entertainment purposes and is not for profit. I do not own Digimon or any characters previously seen in Digimon. If anyone who does own Digimon sees this I am more than willing to help with the next season. Enjoy._

Chapter Thirteen: Opinions and Perceptions.

When Adman and Rika returned to the party Jeri cautiously approached the dark Tamer.

She was hesitant to ask what she really wanted to. "Um, Adman?"

The dark warrior nodded. "Mhmm."

Jeri blurted out her question, "Can I touch it please!"

Adman chuckled and rubbed the back of his head. "Boy if I had a nickel."

Jeri looked at him confused.

Adman followed her eyes to the blackened arm. "Oh you mean the arm! I thought… Nevermind. Sure you can touch it."

Jeri gently touched the blackened hand. "It doesn't hurt does it?"

Adman told her, "I haven't felt much in that arm in a few years now. That's why Beelzemon's claws went right into it without me feeling it."

Jeri squeezed a thin part of the arm. Adman flexed and the muscle expanded rapidly. She backed away shocked and then laughed. "That was amazing. Thank you. Let me get you some cake."

Kazu approached next. "Hey man, what about me? Can I give it a squeeze?"

Rika chimed in, "Now I know he isn't talking about your arm."

Rika laughed hard as Adman asked, "What?"

The redhead whispered into Adman's ear as she faced Kazu.

Adman nodded in understanding before looking to Kazu. "Like the man-gina do we, Kazu?"

Kazu became flustered. "What! No! She's just messing with me. I'm not gay. I had a girlfriend!"

Kenta mumbled more loudly than he thought, "Yeah, for like five minutes."

Adman turned it into a joke as he finished Kenta's though. "…But then the chloroform wore off."

Rika burst out laughing. "Oh that was good!"

Ryo made a polite chuckle. "She's right. Mind if I try one? …But then his hand got tired."

Kazu looked crestfallen. "Ryo? You too? Come on…"

"…But then the computer froze." Everyone looked to see it was in fact Henry who had said that.

Takato looked at his friend strangely. "Henry, are you feeling alright?"

Henry shrugged. "Just thought I'd add mine in. I didn't want to be left out."

Suzie piped up, "What are you guys talking about?"

Henry led her away. "Something you're too young to understand. Come on. Let's get cake."

Takato thought for a moment. Adman making fun of his friend seemed wrong, but it all seemed in good fun.

Takato gave in and added, "…But then he woke up. Sorry Kazu, but you did the same thing to me before."

Kazu scowled. "This isn't funny anymore guys."

Kenta laughed. "They are a little funny. Let me try. Um… But then she realized he wasn't the last man on Earth."

Adman inhaled swiftly, the air hissing though his teeth, at the harshness of the comment. "Good one."

Jeri called out from the kitchen. "What are you guys doing?"

Adman answered, "We're making fun of Kazu. Finish this sentence: 'I used to have a girlfriend for like five minutes, but then…'."

Jeri called back out, "Uh, but then …. The batteries died!"

Adman burst out laughing uproariously as Takato yelled, "Jeri!" in surprise.

Adman replied, "Hold that one for when we talk about Kazu's boyfriend. I imagine that'll start in ten minutes."

Kazu shouted at Adman, "Look what you started!"

Adman put an arm around Kazu's shoulder and tried to calm the kid down. "Mellow out, man. We don't mean anything by it. It's just good fun. Pretend we aren't talking about you. Try one."

Kazu thought for a moment and then said, "…But then the wig fell off?"

Rika was going to lose it soon. She elbowed Ryo. "He's doing it to himself now! Best birthday ever."

Kazu grinned. "I guess it is kind of funny."

Adman encouraged him, "See. You can't really be harmed by it if you're laughing too."

Kazu nodded. "You guys are still mean though."

Adman scolded him, "Hey now. I'm actually the best friend a guy could ever have."

Rika walked away as she chuckled. "I need to sit down. I'm going to bust a gut."

Adman nudged Kazu. "I'm going to join her. In the meantime think of this: Why don't we start up one of those for you're good buddy with the glasses over there? See if you can't get a little payback."

Kazu immediately broke into a rant, "Kenta is so gay he considers a hotdog eating contest an erotic display."

* * *

><p>Adman sat in the corner next to Renamon and Rika.<p>

He gently tapped the fox on the thigh. "How are you feeling today?"

Renamon turned away coldly. "If you mean to ask if I've fully recovered from your assault, yes I have."

Adman sighed. "I'm sorry. Shadowmon has little control. He doesn't always do what I ask. Please forgive him."

Renamon just continued stewing. Jeri brought the three some cake. Adman looked at the cake suspiciously. It was probably one of those crappy store-bought ones loaded with preservatives and filler. They typically weren't part of his diet, but he didn't want to be rude so he took a bite. The cake was light and delicious.

Adman told Jeri, "Jeri, where did you get this cake!"

Jeri smiled her sunshiny smile. "Oh you like it? I made it."

Adman looked back at the cake and then to Takato. "Takato, if you don't make a move right this second I am calling dibs on this chick. It is criminal for her to be single, and I know a thing or two about criminal. She cooks, she's therapeutic, and she has a smile that brightens your day."

Jeri covered her face to hide her bright red cheeks. "I'm glad you like it."

Ryo was sitting with Kazu and Kenta. He called over to Adman jokingly, "If we're calling dibs now I call dibs on Rika"

Rika shouted angrily, "Like hell you do!"

Takato babbled while Jeri blushed profusely and asked Adman, "But what about your policy?"

Adman shouted, "Screw the policy! This cake is delicious!"

Rika nudged Adman. "Shut up. Here comes my mom."

Adman hid his right hand inside his coat pocket. Hopefully she hadn't seen much.

Rika's mother approached the dark warrior. "So Adman, right? What brings you here?"

Adman tapped the sword at Rika's side. "I had to give Rika my gift. After how I treated her and her friends I figured it had to be good."

Mrs. Nonaka sat next to them. "A sword huh. Not sure I approve."

"It's purely decorative; I assure you," Adman lied.

"So where are you from, if you don't mind me asking?" The woman seemed kind enough.

"The states."

She was surprised. "Really? You speak wonderful Japanese."

"I had a good education. I can speak twelve different languages, clean and prep a rifle in under a minute, and take apart your car before putting it all back together."

"My, what a nice assortment of skills. I'm trying to make sure Rika gets a good education too."

"Yeah. My father always believed in education. I took combat lessons, music lessons, etiquette lessons; those ones obviously didn't take. Now I spend most of my time traveling place to place and seeing what I can do. Last year I built homes in Haiti and this year I intend to go do some research at the North Pole. Ice cores, ya know."

"My, I never thought I'd have such a well-traveled gentleman in my house. Rika, where did you find him?"

Rika had only been half listening to her mother's conversation. "He found me. Just called me out of the blue one night and said he wanted to return our Digimon to us."

Mrs. Nonaka looked at the warrior with some concern. "Not to be rude, but how did you get my daughters number?"

Adman set his cake aside, unwittingly allowing Guilmon to sneak up and eat it. "I was in the same war your daughter was in, though I fought alongside the Sovereigns inside the Digital world. Afterwards I saw news reports about other Tamers like me. I heard of a company called Hypnos. My Digimon and I are masters of infiltration. We broke into Hypnos and stole a copy of everybody's file. Hypnos has thorough reports on all the children: information on their partners, psychological profiles, addresses and phone numbers."

"Oh how awful. I feel so intruded upon."

Adman lowered his head. "For what it's worth, those files lead me here. Without them I would still be a lone Tamer. I meant no harm."

Adman always did know how to play to an audience. Rumiko Nonaka felt sympathy for the boy.

She patted the boy's knee. "You aren't awful. I was just saying that it was very wrong for those people to keep information like that on all of us."

"Yeah, I suppose it is." He looked down to his plate. "Hey where's my cake!"

* * *

><p>There was one more interesting scene at the party.<p>

As things were winding down Takato made the mistake of asking, "Hey Rika, what did Adman get you for your birthday?"

Rika picked up her sword and approached the boy. She unsheathed the blade and pointed it at him. "This. Isn't it wonderful?"

She had a slight bit of menace in her eye. "You know I never did pay you back for planning this little party behind my back."

Takato backed away, but hit a wall. "Hey I'm sorry. Jeri wanted to, and you know I can't say no to her."

Adman stepped in, pushing Rika's sword away from the boy. "Of course not, Takato. A girl like Jeri is very persuasive. I've only known her for a few days, but if you want my advice I say marry the girl."

Both Takato and Jeri blushed profusely amid hooting and hollering from Kazu and Kenta.

Adman took the time to pull Rika away. He motioned to the sword. "This is not a toy. Never point a blade at someone unless you intend to kill them."

Rika sheathed her new sword. "I understand. I wasn't going to do anything. I just wanted to scare him."

"And what if I had accidentally bumped into you? The sword goes forward right into Takato's chest and you've killed a good friend over a gag."

Rika pushed away. "Geez ok. I guess you're right."

Adman tilted his head. "Damn right I am."

* * *

><p>The dark warrior watched the others leave from atop the wall around Rika's property. Night had come and he was hard to see in his black attire. He waved goodbye. Most waved back. Rika was standing below him. She leaped a couple times in an attempt to get up to the wall.<p>

Finally she complained, "Wanna help out?"

Adman reached down and hefted the girl to his level. She had trouble balancing on the wall, but he steadied her with his human hand on her shoulder.

Adman asked, "Did Renamon give you my number?"

Rika nodded a yes.

"Good. If you guys need anything don't hesitate to call me."

Rika recalled Adman's plans to visit the North Pole. "Where are you going?"

"Away. Despite my best efforts I do have things to attend to beside the rest of the Tamers."

"How long?"

"I don't know. Years, maybe. I'm fickle that way. You'll see me again when I'm needed."

"You mean you won't visit?"

Adman knew he was going to be very sad if he continued this. "Would you… like that? Do you think the others want me around?"

Rika turned to him and smiled. "Yeah. Of course. Us Tamers have to stick together, right?"

Adman thought for a long time. Rika had been so kind to him. She'd given him a chance, willingly and otherwise, when nobody else would. Her trust should be repaid. He had an idea for a gift, but wondered if he could pull it off.

Instead Adman told her, "I'll be leaving in less than a week. Is there anything you need before I go?"

Rika thought hard, and replied sarcastically, "No, thank you. You've done more than enough. Whenever you're around things blow up….Or you try and run me over… Or a parasite tries to eat my brain . Um actually I did want to ask you something though."

Adman smirked. "You can ask, but I won't always answer."

Rika glared at him. "You aren't funny, you know. These situations aren't cute so stop it."

Adman said nothing, but nodded silently.

Rika asked, "Why are you here? Why are you trying to help us? What's your angle?"

Adman acted offended. "You don't think it's out of the goodness of my heart?"

Rika replied directly, "Not even for a second. You're messing with us and I know it. Why?"

Adman returned her directness. "I'm looking for warriors. I'm tough, but I'm just one guy. Shadowmon and I can't do everything. We need help should the world have problems. Think of what the world would be like should the Tamers establish a force of power in this place."

Rika stopped him before he could daydream. "Forget it. We're not soldiers. We're just kids."

Adman didn't give up so easily. He pushed the matter. "What I saw out there today was a group of capable warriors fighting for their world. Why not fight on my behalf? You'd still be fighting rogue Digimon for the peace of two worlds. There would be no difference."

Rika focused her violet eyes on Adman. They had a hypnotic, almost terrifying, power over him. "I said no." She softened slightly and relaxed her almost hostile position. "I can't speak for all the others, but I don't want that life. After the D-reaper… I'm not looking for fights now ok."

Adman nodded. His voice was soft. "I understand, but they may be looking for you. I know they look for me."

Rika tried reading the boy and then decided on what emotion she was seeing in him. She laughed.

"You're scared! I don't believe it! Mr. big-shot hybrid can't handle things on his own, huh?"

Adman growled, "I am not afraid!" For a second he glared at the girl, but then his ego let up. "I worry about the future. I've had to change and adapt just to survive. It isn't pretty."

Rika tapped Adman's warped arm. "So I see."

Adman shook his head in remorse. "It goes deeper than that, Miss Nonaka."

Adman stood on the thin wall. Rika had seen Renamon do that so many times before, but to see a human balancing on the wall in the same manner was strange.

Adman told her in a lighter tone, "Consider it this way. Being in debt to me is like being in debt to the mob. Someday I'll ask you and your group for a favor. I hope that you can remember the kindness that I showed you all and agree to help me."

Rika replied sarcastically, "How humble of you. It isn't really a kindness if you're doing it with the expectation of something in return."

Adman leapt down to the outside of the gate. "Yeah, but then you were the one that said you didn't suspect for a minute I was doing this out of the goodness of my heart. I still have something nice for you though, Miss Nonaka. Please trust me a little further. I promise you won't be disappointed. Goodbye."

Adman walked away. He looked so sad that even Rika started to feel bad for him. Perhaps she'd been too hard on him. Sure it was a strange request, but…

Rika called after him. "I know you probably won't return for a long time. You might even forget all about us, but we will miss you. You sure made things interesting."

Adman stopped. He turned to look to her. "I'd never forget you guys. I've traversed two worlds to find a place I belong. Despite everything that's happened this place feels most welcoming to me. Thank you for that. You and yours have been most hospitable. Hopefully someday you can accept some of my hospitality in the states."

Despite everything Rika answered, "I'd like that."

As soon as Adman was away Rika spoke to the wind, "Did you get all that?"

Renamon appeared out of nowhere. "Every word, Rika."

Rika told her partner, "Go tell Takato. Adman's twisted, but he wasn't too pushy. I wouldn't call him harmless, but I don't think we have to worry about him too much."

Renamon didn't agree with the assessment, but she obeyed. "Yes Rika." Then she vanished.

* * *

><p>Henry Wong was walking home with two of his favorite friends, Takato and Jeri. Oh and Suzie too. Takato was walking Jeri to the subway, but he'd asked Henry to come along to chat.<p>

Takato asked, "So what do you think? Can we trust him?"

Henry thought about it for a second. He didn't want to make a rash decision on the matter. "He's…unstable. From what you guys have told me he sounds a little antisocial. Can't blame a guy for that though. He looks clueless, but from what you told me he's doing better. If he went from threatening you guys to fending off Parasimon I'd say that's an improvement. I wouldn't leave him alone with Suzie though. He still could be dangerous."

Jeri disagreed, "I think he just needs someone to talk to. He and I had a good talk."

Suzie cut in sweetly, "He likes you though."

Henry gave Lopmon a look.

The chocolate colored bunny understood and got Suzie's attention. "Suzie, why don't you show me that new game again?"

With his sister occupied Henry continued, "He's strong too. Unstable and strong is a dangerous combination in my book."

Takato respected Henry's advice. "So you think he is dangerous. Good enough for me."

Jeri still objected, "Just because he's that way now doesn't mean he always will be. Maybe we could help him. Like Beelzemon! He …" Jeri froze. She stopped walking and ended her conversation right there. She couldn't continue talking without bringing up the death of her partner.

Takato saw the look in her eye and tried to comfort her. "Oh Jeri…"

Jeri shook off the bad memories at Takato's words. She smiled sweetly to hide her pain. "I'm ok. It's… just a little tender still."

Takato helped her along as he told Henry, "This is exactly why. We can't let something like that happen again. Sure we need all the friends we can get, but only people we can trust. I see no reason to trust Adman."

Jeri frowned and shoved away from Takato angrily. "Don't use me as a reason in all this!" She told Takato, "I'm fine. I don't know whether we should trust him or not, but I do know that this isn't fair to him. We should just talk to him. He's been open with me and Rika. He'll talk if you take the time with him."

Terriermon flew from Henry's shoulder to Guilmon's back and told the dinosaur, "Do you ever get the feeling they're ignoring the best opinions: namely ours?"

Guilmon asked, "Well what do you think?"

Terriermon replied humorously, "I think he's a ninja sent to spy on us. Or maybe a Hypnos agent. Sure looks like one."

Henry and Takato exchanged a look.

Takato looked worried. "I never even thought of that. Do you really think it's possible? Why would Hypnos send an agent after us?"

Henry shook his head. "I doubt it. They already know everything about us. Having someone check in seems like overkill. That and Adman doesn't seem like the guy who makes weekly reports to government agencies."

Jeri asked Henry, "Why are you so worried? The only thing he's ever said to you is that he liked your jokes. That and he returned your Digimon to you. That seems like a good foundation to me."

Terriermon's ears lowered. "Wow do I feel bad. Come to think of it he hasn't done anything bad to us."

Guilmon snorted. "He didn't attack you."

Terriermon nodded. "Right. Sorry."

Henry considered Jeri's assessment for a moment. "You make a good point, Jeri, but I can't afford to be careless. I have a sister I need to look after. I could never forgive myself if something happened to Suzie because I let that guy too close to all of us."

A feminine voice answered Henry, "You have a right to worry."

Renamon was standing on a tree branch above them. She told the group what Rika and Adman had talked about.

When she was over Takato frowned. "I knew it! He's trying to use us."

Jeri told Takato, "But he backed down when Rika told him to. Right, Renamon?"

Renamon nodded.

Takato was adamant, "It doesn't matter. He's still pushing us to do things."

Henry thought for a moment. "Maybe Jeri has something."

Takato looked at him strangely. "Not you too."

Henry looked to his little sister before replying, "Suzie wouldn't be involved. That'd be my first condition. Maybe he has something more to offer us. I don't want to fight any more than you guys, but maybe he knows a way to fight smarter. Maybe he can stop the appearance of new Digimon. Hopefully we'd fight once and then be done forever. Sounds like a good trade-off to me. If we don't like what he's offering then we just back out. You, Me, Rika and Ryo. We could help for a good cause."

Takato didn't like it. "Henry, I don't think it's a good idea. Every time I've ever seen this guy something inside me just screams not to trust him. Your plan sounds reasonable, and a part of me wants a little help too, but I'm certain that getting involved with Adman Hows is a bad idea."

Henry couldn't argue. For all his personal knowledge Takato had instinct over all of them. "Fine. We'll just say no."

Renamon understood. "I'll tell Rika. She'll deliver your message. Oh and Takato, I agree."

* * *

><p>Rika was cleaning up after the party. With all the strange things that had happened she was just trying to keep herself busy to keep from thinking about them. What a day.<p>

Her mother was sipping tea. "You know that can wait until tomorrow. Come sit with me."

Rika put down the garbage sack and sat down on one of the floor mats. "So when did I become the responsible one?"

Rika's mother shook her finger and teased her daughter. "Too much stress leads to premature wrinkles."

Rika replied dryly, "I'm fifteen!"

"Which would make it all the more shocking if you started getting them. By the way, that new friend of yours seems nice."

Rika poured herself some tea. "Don't let Renamon hear you say that. I think she'll hate Adman 'til the day he dies."

Rika's mother stretched. "That's too bad. I have a feeling that you two will be seeing a lot of each other."

Rika's eyes went wide. "You didn't try setting up a 'play-date' or something did you?"

Rumiko shook her head. "No. I just know that when my little girl starts making friends they don't go away for very long. Look at Takato. Or Ryo for that matter."

Rika smirked. "I wish Ryo would stay away longer."

Rumiko told her daughter, "Be nice. I just think Adman likes you and he doesn't want to leave."

Rika admitted, "He did invite us to his house in the United States when we wanted to go."

Rumiko perked up immediately. "Really? Everyone, or just you?"

Rika thought for a moment. "Everyone I guess. He didn't say anything to anyone else, but I don't think he likes talking much about his personal life. Whenever he has a message for everyone he usually talks through me."

"That makes you special. So when are you going to visit?"

"I don't know. He can probably fly us over on one of his private jets whenever he wants."

Rika's mother nearly choked as tea went down the wrong pipe. "He has a private jet! Oh Rika, he's a keeper. A rich gentleman with a dark side calls my daughter out of the blue and offers to reunite her with her long lost friend. It's the stuff romance novels are made for."

Rika closed her eyes thoughtfully, concealing her anger. "Stop it! He isn't like that. I doubt he has a romantic bone in his body. I mean who gets a girl a sword for her birthday? I like it, but if he was trying to be romantic that is not quite the way to show it. He's just trying to worm his way into our group. He wants to recruit us for... actually I have no idea. He was kind of vague on that."

Mrs. Nonaka wasn't buying it. "I don't know. It looked pretty romantic with you two sitting atop that wall in the moonlight."

Rika scooted slightly. Her mother always widely fantasized things. "You saw that, huh?"

"A mother sees things. He seems nice. You know you could hold his hand or something. Something tells me he wouldn't mind."

Rika mumbled to herself, "Yeah, that vicious mega crusher of a hand. I think he doesn't like people near it." She realized her mother was waiting for a response and so she concluded, "Besides, we aren't like that."

"As you wish. I'm just saying if you end up marrying some jerk with broad shoulders and no job instead of this guy I'm going to be upset."

Rika could have argued that Adman had attacked Renamon. She could have argued that he was almost certainly a criminal of some kind. She could have even argued that Adman Hows was a freak with a blackened arm and even fewer likeable traits than Ryo. Her anger however killed her better responses.

"That's none of your business who I marry, mother. Besides his shoulders are pretty broad too."

Rumiko completely missed the point. "Yeah I know! He's the perfect package isn't he? If I were only twenty years younger."

"Your drooling, mom." Rika walked away, thoroughly creeped out.

As she walked out Renamon appeared. "The others have declined Adman's offer."

Rika pulled out her cell. '_I thought they might. Now to tell him the bad news'_. She took no glee in calling up Adman, but she felt he needed to know their answer.

Adman picked up. "I know I didn't leave my bag behind. Could it be you miss me already?"

Rika frowned. "Don't flatter yourself. I just brought up your plan to the others and they shot it down. Sorry, but we prefer to be freelance guardians. Better luck next time."

Adman remained in his good mood. "Is this where you tell me we can still be friends?"

Rika scowled. "I'm going to hang up now. If you don't make another wise-crack maybe, just maybe, I'll forgive that and we'll talk later."

Adman didn't say a word. Rika hung up her phone while he pocketed his. He sighed. '_Oh well. On to plan B. No more mister nice guy'_.


	14. Chapter Fourteen: Old Wounds

Chapter Fourteen: Old Wounds

Days later Adman Hows was sitting in a swivel chair at Palo Alto University. The dark warrior was sipping on a ginger ale he had purchased from one of the campus vending machines and spinning in the professor's chair. The lecture hall was empty now. Probably because student hours wouldn't start for two more hours. The door being locked didn't help either. Adman stopped himself when he faced the desk. The name on the desk was Professor Rob McCoy. The file that he had stolen from Hypnos called the man Dolphin. Rob McCoy was unofficially known as one of the legendary Monster Makers. Well, at least they were legendary among Tamers. The Monster Makers had made the artificial intelligence programs that later became Digimon over twenty years ago.

Adman felt good to be back in his native country. California was a beautiful place. Even his home in Texas couldn't hold a candle to the rich nature that was the golden state. There were several Monster Makers that Adman could have visited to deliver the information he had, but he and Dolphin had a past. Not a happy past, but a past nonetheless. Adman heard a key being shoved into the lock at the door to his left. He looked at his watch_. Five A.M. on the dot. Good old Rob. He always was punctual_. Rob McCoy was getting older. He was halfway into fifty and it showed. His hairline was receding and his waist was expanding. His eyes were starting to lose their sharpness without his reading glasses, but he still had the glimmer of a scientist in his eyes. His professor suit was still as crisp as it had always been.

Adman waved to the professor entering his office first thing in the morning. "Good morning, Professor McCoy. Am I too early for some student-teacher time?"

Rob McCoy was shocked to see anyone in his office at such an early hour, especially since he had locked the door. Then he recognized the boy who sat in his chair and surprise turned to tempered anger. "What are YOU doing here?"

Adman stood up, arms open, for a hug he wouldn't get. "Rob. We go way back. We have some good memories and some bad ones. Let's not linger on the bad ones. I have information that you need."

The professor set his briefcase next to his desk and sat down in his chair. "You have thirty seconds to tell me why I shouldn't call security in here and get you tossed out on your ear."

Adman leaned against the giant chalkboard behind Rob's desk. "Well for one no security crew alive can stop me."

Rob picked up his phone and began dialing. "They have been authorized to use deadly force in your case."

Adman pulled the phone line out. "You're in a college, not Fort Knox. You can't get me shot here no matter how much you want to."

Rob exploded on the man, his face starting to turn a shade of red. "When I saw you were dead in the newspaper I actually jumped for joy! I really hoped you were gone for good. After the last visit you paid to me I had hoped that you were going to leave me alone. Now tell me what you need to and get the hell out of my lecture hall!"

Adman dusted white chalk dust off of his black jacket. "Fine. Here's the deal. I know Hypnos still has some connection with you. I'm sure they've been shitting themselves ever since the Parasimon incident. You have too. After the D-reaper went away you thought seeing Digimon was a thing of the past. Well I got news for you. We have just seen the tip of the iceberg."

McCoy was finally interested. "So how do you know all this?"

Adman admitted almost gleefully. "Because I am directly responsible."

"Why am I not surprised."

"The other Tamers' Digimon are back. I brought them back."

"How?"

"Your group isn't the only one who can get stuff to the Digital world. Unfortunately after you and yours got rid of the D-reaper with the Juggernaut program Digimon had to adapt. They need to come here. Especially the ones with Tamers. At the same time though the Juggernaut program put them in a bad situation. They have to stay connected to the Digital world by an invisible tether now. They don't even know it, but they're unstable otherwise. That tether marks a weak point. Occasionally it can even allow a Digimon through the firewall. Now every Digimon in the human world is acting as a conduit for other Digimon to break through. They will keep trying until one survives the breach."

"So what you're saying is Digimon in the human world are bringing more Digimon in and they don't even know it?"

"Glad you're following. You always were a smart one."

Rob McCoy was suspicious. No good ever came from this young man. "So what's your price? I know you aren't just giving me this information."

"You're right. I'm not. I want you to get back inside Hypnos. This information will earn their trust. A brilliant mind like yours will be valued on any scientific team. Just get an informant's job if nothing else. I want you to keep me informed on what they're doing there. I saw some pretty scary stuff last time I got in, but I need a man on the inside to tell me what it all is. Keep your eye on that guy Yamaki. You get a great job and become the scientific savior of your generation and I know what's going on inside that damn building. Just call me if they try to make a move. I have plans. Deal?"

Adman extended his hand for a handshake. Rob wouldn't ever touch Adman Hows, especially that damned right hand of his. The glove couldn't conceal it from Rob's mind. He turned away. "Deal. But I still hate your guts."

Adman was about to leave when a photo on the professor's desk caught his attention. In the picture Rob McCoy was in a casual yellow leisure shirt, sitting in an arm chair. A man in a grey suit was standing over him. Rob McCoy's son. Then there was the last person in the picture. Rob's granddaughter was holding onto his arm. She had her blonde hair in pigtails held together by blue bows. She was in light blue shirt and blue jeans. She looked happy. The picture made Adman sad. It reminded him of what might have been.

Rob McCoy saw Adman eyeing the picture and he set it face down on the table. "You have no right to eye my granddaughter. Get out of my classroom."

Adman sighed and walked away. As he was leaving he stopped at the frame of the door. "You know you aren't the only one who lost something that day."

Rob McCoy paid the dark Tamer no further attention. He plugged in his phone again and began dialing Hypnos.

* * *

><p>Adman Hows walked out of the office. The dark fox that was fused to his jacket coughed at the chalk dust.<p>

Adman told him, "Just breath, Shadowmon. We'll be out of here soon and then you can defuse."

Shadowmon, timid as he usually was, spoke up to his master, "Adman, this seems wrong. You have to know what'll happen. The Tamers will…"

Adman told him sternly, "Will never know. Everything will work out fine, Shadowmon. They'll never know I'm connected to all this. Now can we just go home?"

Adman's shoulders sagged.

Shadowmon felt the change in Adman's breathing; the difference in his pulse. "Sir? Are you crying?"

Adman growled, "Of course not! This place just opens up old wounds. Seems like I can't get things accomplished by being the nice guy. I'll have to be the dick."

Shadowmon encouraged Adman. "All is not lost with these humans, sir. I implore you to give it one last try. That girl, Rika. You said you wanted to do something nice for her. Give it a try."

Adman laughed dryly, "Who would have thought the corrupted fox on my back could be the angel on my shoulder. I'll think about it. Right now I need a drink."

* * *

><p>Rika Nonaka was sleeping deeply. Her Digivice had been silent for the first time in a long time. Digimon after Digimon had been appearing. They were getting tougher. The attack of the Parasimon had nearly bested them. That was a week ago. In that time Adman had said goodbye. Renamon was fine with that. Rika wasn't. Whether her Digimon agreed or not, they needed him. Adman was a powerful fighter. Shadowmon was vicious. Together they improved the team. Even Takato had to admit that. She had looked at her phone for some time before sleep had overtaken the girl. She wanted to call him, but chose not to. Adman would have liked to know Rika's thoughts at that point; to know he was thought of. He was currently half way across the world. After his talk with Rob McCoy the warrior was in a deep depression. Old friends did that to him. Like many underage teens Adman was currently finding peace from his depression in the bottom of a bottle. Strong liquor was dulling his internal pain as best it could. He cried a lot in times like that. He broke things too. Currently he was sitting on the ground, a bottle of Jack in his right hand. He had been sitting in a thin wooden chair, but that had been shattered against the cement wall of his underground bunker. It was currently two in the afternoon. He shook himself, allowing the differing emotions to leave him. He had to be on his 'A game'. He picked up his cell phone and dialed. It rang for a second. Finally an old friend picked up.<p>

Adman acted as sober as he could. "Hi Mick. I need your help. I'm looking for someone. You should start looking in Japan. I don't know where. Sorry, but that's all I know. The good news is unlike most of my targets this one won't be hiding. The name? Nonaka."


	15. Chapter Fifteen: Shadow From the Past

_Disclaimer: This work is for purely entertainment purposes and is not for profit. I do not own Digimon or any characters previously seen in Digimon. If anyone who does own Digimon sees this I am more than willing to help with the next season. Enjoy._

**Chapter Fifteen: Shadow From the Past.**

Rika had slept well. Her night had been undisturbed by nightmares, invaders, or anything else. Adman had been gone for some time, the party was over, and she had to admit things were quieting down now. Takato had told her to stay cautious. He believed that the uptick in wild Digimon appearing was no coincidence. Something had to be happening to draw them out. In his most cynical moods he would come close to accusing Adman, but felt he didn't have any evidence for that. In fact without Adman they would be defenseless and their town would have been destroyed by the bio-emerged Digimon. So fair enough; Adman had done something good for them. Takato was willing to admit it. Rika never worried about the subject. If it was Adman's fault they could stop him. If it wasn't he could help them fight it. Rika had accepted long ago that certain things just had to unfold before you could do anything about them. She also had other things on her mind. Namely school at that moment.

Rika sat in a desk watching the clock tick agonizingly slow. Her school was all young girls. She'd look left or right, but they all were dressed the same. There was nothing overly unique about any of them, designed that way by the school. The uniforms made them so unoriginal. She hated them so much. On the last day of school, she had already decided, she would gather all of her uniforms and shred them to pieces. Then maybe she'd make something from the scraps. Maybe a cloth or a blanket; something useful. Then she could set that on fire and finally be free.

She was sitting in a hard chair after being there for over an hour. The current class was only fifteen minutes through, but already the topic had gotten so stale that she was zoning out. Then her cellphone vibrated and brought her back to reality. She picked it up and checked it, glad that it had been silenced.

She had gotten a text. It was from Adman: '_get ready to leave'_.

She scowled. Now he was disturbing her during class. It didn't matter if it was two in the morning or right in the middle of school. Somehow Adman always had the worst timing.

Rika made sure nobody was looking and then texted back, '_I'm in the middle of class_'.

Adman responded, '_Your mom is getting you out. A doctor appointment. Get ready_'.

The intercom popped, "Mr. Kaoi, please excuse Miss Nonaka from class".

Rika couldn't believe it. How did he do that?

* * *

><p>Now outside the school Rika was calling Adman.<p>

The young man answered with one hell of a hangover. "Are you ready for your next instructions?"

She was not used to being guided like this. "You know this stuff was cute when I didn't know you, but now that I know what you look like I can kick your ass for interfering in my life."

Adman retorted, "You're more than welcome to go back to class if you think my adventure is less exciting."

Something about Adman's attitude perturbed Rika and she shouted into the phone, "How do you know? I might like school! School might be the reason I get up in the morning!"

Adman sighed. "Please stop shouting. It hurts my head. Aren't you the least curious as to why I convinced your mom to let you play hooky?"

Rika realized something. "How did you convince her?"

"I called her and told her there was a Digimon incident nearby and I needed help. Told her Shadowmon might bite the big one if you and Renamon didn't show up soon. She wasn't hard to fool. Now you want to hear the real reason I got you out?"

She calmed down and decided to at least hear what he had to say. "Sure, I'll bite. What's all this about, oh wise one?"

"You are about to receive the best birthday present you've gotten in a long time. Sorry it's late."

Rika felt concerned for just a moment. "Tell me you didn't kill Ryo. He's not buried in a ditch somewhere is he?"

Adman chuckled until it hurt his head to do so. "There's always next year. I'll add it to the list."

"So what hoops do I have to jump through to get this little gift of yours?"

"Just follow my instructions."

* * *

><p>Rika Nonaka followed the instructions to the letter. She turned down the streets he told her to. At the end of her quest he led her to a local diner. She opened the door and walked in. There were about twenty people total in the diner for the lunch rush.<p>

"Ok, I'm here. Now what?"

Adman came back. "Look for a man with a purple flower on the table."

Rika looked around the diner for such a man. Every table was busy with people eating and talking. Then there was a man sitting by himself sipping coffee. He was in a green casual shirt and grey slacks. She looked at his features. He was unimpressive to look at; skinny, with well-cut red-brown hair. His chin was strong, but the rest of him was unremarkable. He was checking his watch when she spotted the flower on his table.

Adman asked over the phone, "Find him?"

Rika felt instantly nervous. "What have you gotten me into?"

"Go sit next to him an introduce yourself. The last time I told you to trust me it worked out well didn't it? Just trust me one last time."

Rika hung up the phone. For a brief moment she contemplated walking out, but somehow she felt Adman's eyes on her. He would know, sooner or later, if she chickened out. She had nothing to prove to him, but something compelled her to stay and follow Adman's halfcocked adventure to the end. She brushed past a waitress and sat across from the man with the purple flower.

After a few seconds of the two looking each other over she spoke first, "I don't know if you're the person I'm supposed to talk to, but I'm Rika. Um this isn't a blind date or something is it?"

The man seemed nervous. "I recognized you. He didn't tell you anything did he?"

Rika sighed. That sounded like Adman. "No he didn't. What should I know?"

The man took a deep breath. "My name is Konji Nonaka. I'm your father, Rika."

Rika's mind reeled and she had trouble breathing calmly all the sudden. Adman had found her father. She couldn't speak. Couldn't even think. This was an unquestionable invasion of her privacy! She looked at the man again. It was also something she'd wanted for some time. _Forget school; how did he pull __this__ off?_ Her father called the waitress over for more coffee. He was jittery, but the beverage seemed to calm him somehow.

Her father motioned to Rika. "Can I get you something? A drink, lunch, dessert? Something like that?"

Rika shook her head no. She was still dazed from the reality that her father that she hadn't seen since she was about six was sitting across from her. She looked at the man and realized similar characteristics in his face that she saw every day in the mirror. The eyes were the same, though Rika had longer lashes.

Her skeptical side kicked in. "Mind if I see some I.D.?"

The man pulled out his wallet and handed it to the girl. The card indicated he wasn't lying. His name was indeed Konji Nonaka. She knew that was her father's name. As much as she hated to admit it he looked familiar.

She finally relaxed slightly. "So how've you been…papa?"

The man smiled a little at that. "I understand this must be a huge shock to you, Rika. Frankly it came as a surprise to me too. I was working in my office in China when I got a call on my cell phone. A friend of yours said you wanted to see me. He offered to fly me here. How could I refuse? Besides it's been too long. I missed you."

Rika was hesitant to ask the next question, but she forced herself to. "So about that. Why has it been so long? Why haven't you called?"

Mr. Nonaka sipped at his coffee, thinking for the best words to give to his daughter. "Let me start off by saying I'm sorry. If it's any consolation I think about you every day."

"Then why didn't you call?" It came out colder than she wanted it to.

"You have your mother's fiery temper."

Rika thought to herself, '_you have no idea'._

Her father continued, "I wanted to call. A couple times I tried. When your grandmother answered I even talked to you. You probably don't remember that though. When your mother picked up she screamed at me for a good long time. I heard you in the background. I didn't want to put you through that every time. A girl shouldn't have to hear her parents fighting every few days."

"So you just stopped calling."

"It wasn't an easy decision for me. I did plan on finding you once you moved out. Try and make up for lost time. I sent you a Christmas present every year though. Did you get them?"

"I don't think so."

Mr. Nonaka sighed. "I was afraid of that. Too bad. Anyway, I intended to visit, but when work shipped me from Japan it became harder and harder to see you."

"So you just gave up?" Rika felt tears coming, but was too proud to let them through.

Mr. Nonaka set a hand on hers, feeling his daughter's distress. Even after all these years apart his touch was still comforting. "I'm sorry, Rika. I really am, and from now on I'm going to make it up to you. Your friend said I can be flown here and back as much as I want. I'll visit you every weekend. If you want that?"

Rika nodded. It was all she could do. "I missed you."

"I missed you too."

Rika was trying hard to maintain her composure. She tried to change the subject and get the conversation moving on a lighter path. "So, no offense, but you don't seem like mom's type."

Mr. Nonaka smiled Rika's crafty smile. "You mean I'm not the perfectly sculpted man you envisioned your mother to be with?"

Rika tried to backtrack. "No, no, no! It's just mom is really superficial and you don't seem to be part of her normal click."

Her father chuckled. "You got your mothers looks, but you have my brain. Just as well. Your mother has more depth than she lets on. She just uses her looks when she can and her wit when she has to. I always saw through that. If you look hard enough you will too."

Rika had never though her mother had any depth. She had a good heart, but Rumiko Nonaka seemed about as mentally deep as a puddle after a quick rain.

Her father continued. "She and I started dating very young and we were married just shy of her twentieth birthday. You came along not long after. You were the best present your mother ever gave me."

Rika finally let one stray tear fall down her cheek. She quickly wiped it away, but not before her father saw.

Mr. Nonaka told her. "You have your mother's heart too."

Rika regained control. "So why did you leave mom?"

Mr. Nonaka thought for a moment before finally giving up subtlety for the truth. "I slept with another woman."

Rika was shocked. "But mom's a model! And… I thought you loved her. How could you do that to her? To me?"

Mr. Nonaka smiled. "I always loved your mother. Still do. The only person I've ever loved more is you. I don't expect you to understand, but people reach challenges in their life that define them. I was going through a particularly tough time and I didn't want to play Rumiko's games in order to talk to her. Conversation had been difficult for a long time. Then I was presented with an old college flame. I was stupid and weak and it cost me everything I really cared about. I will never stop loving you or your mother, but after that she stopped loving me. Can't blame her."

Rika had never seen either parent in such a light. Somehow everything he said made sense, like she had seen it before. Sad memories of her mother and father fighting seemed to slip from some far corner of her mind into Rika's consciousness. If it weren't for her father's stupidity they could still be a family. She could have grown up with a father. She tried desperately not to think of the possibilities, but they would not leave. 'What if' haunted the girl.

Mr. Nonaka gently shook her shoulder and it brought her back from the dark spiral that threatened to consume her. He held her hand as he pleaded forgiveness, "I'm sorry, Rika. It was all my fault, and I'll try my best from now on to make it right for you. I promise."

She'd been burned by promises from him before. Rika forced herself to say, "I'll have to think about all this."

"Take as much time as you need. Can I see you next weekend?"

"Sure."

"Um, Rika. Can you not tell your mother about meeting me? I don't think Rumiko would like it if I was back in your life."

Rika nodded. "Sure thing."

Too much of Rika's childhood had been rocked already that day. Now all she wanted to do was leave. She needed time to process the information. As she got up to leave he walked out behind her after paying his bill.

"So I saw on television that you were involved with that huge incident a while back. That was you, right?"

Rika nodded her head, embarrassed for some reason. "That was me. Me and my friends are kind of special."

Mr. Nonaka agreed. "I always knew my daughter was destined for greatness. Thanks for proving me right. Goodbye, Rika. I'll see you next week. Call me." He slipped a business card to Rika. Then he hugged her once and waved goodbye. That was it. That was her reuniting with her father.

* * *

><p>Rika was about halfway home when her phone rang.<p>

She snapped it open, but before she could say hello Adman was gushing on the other end, "So how was he? Is he the dad you always imagined?" His hangover was being curbed with an aspirin and a large coffee.

Rika couldn't help but laugh. "Not really, but he seems nice. Oh and Adman?"

Adman tried to contain his excitement. "Yes…"

Rika wanted to yell at him. She wanted to hate him for intruding in her life. When her mouth opened though all she could say was, "Thank you. That was the best belated birthday present I've ever gotten."

Adman did a fist pump of victory and his little dance would have made Rika laugh. "So you're saying I did good?"

She casually replied, "You did very good. Don't let it go to your head though."

It was already too late for that. Adman sat down on his couch; bursting in joy. "Oh yeah! Who's your daddy?"

Rika's voice came over the other end perturbed, "Excuse me?"

Adman bit his tongue hard, thinking to himself, '_too much'._

He regained his composure and tried covering his ass by saying, "I said 'how's your daddy'?"

Rika was no dim bulb. She knew exactly what he had said, but he had seemed drunk last time they had talked, and since he had just done the sweetest thing for her that anyone had done in a long time she decided to let it slide. She shook herself listening to her own train of thought, '_Sweetest? Let's go with nicest. Sweetest seems too girly'._

She realized Adman was still on the other line and came back, "Don't worry about it. Hey when will we see you again?"

Adman knew he was in a good way. "When do you want to see me again? I'm doing a charity thing in Ethiopia that I'll be at for a month. I'm leaving in a few hours, but when I'm finished I can head that way afterwards."

Rika paused. _African charity mission? How out of character for the strange dark Tamer_.

She pushed the thought from her head and replied, "That sounds great. Renamon and I will meet you at the airport."

"Do you want me to send you the limo?"

"We can take the subway. No need to go through any trouble."

Adman chuckled and pushed as much charm into his voice as he could, "Miss Nonaka, I thought you would have learned by now that trouble is my middle name. Besides taking care of my friends is no trouble to me. I'll see you in just over a month. Stay in touch."

With that he was gone and Rika had made it home. She walked inside and into Renamon's room. The yellow fox was watering her peace lily when the girl walked in and threw herself down on Renamon's thin mat of a bed.

Renamon turned and greeted her Tamer, "Good afternoon, Rika. You're home early. How was school?"

Rika rolled over on the bed so that she was face up. She put her hands behind her head and interlocked the fingers. "I met my father today."

Renamon set the water can down next to the plant and sat down next to her Tamer. "That's nice. I trust this is important to you. Was the visit pleasant?"

Rika smiled. She had every right to be angry for the strange turn of events, but couldn't even force herself. The day had just been too good.

"It was nice. I haven't seen him in years. It's just so good to see him. To get answers."

"I'm happy for you, Rika."

"Yeah, me too. I hope to introduce you to him in one of our visits."

"As you wish. When will I meet him?"

"Maybe next week. Adman's going to fly him back and forth between his home in China and here every weekend."

Renamon said nothing. Rika had known the fox long enough to know the silence was deliberate. "What's the matter?"

"I just know that no good can come from accepting favors from that boy."

"Oh you're being stubborn. That's how I got you."

"It's more than that, Rika. There's just something evil about him. I believe him when he says he's trying to be a good man. I just don't think that's possible."

"You really hold a grudge. I don't think he's evil."

"You don't have my senses. A person's Digimon is an appropriate reflection of their soul. Look at Shadowmon. I haven't seen a dark Digimon like that since Beelzemon got corrupted by the Sovereigns."

"I hope you're wrong, Renamon. He's visiting us in about a month."

"Don't get your hopes up. Anyway that reminds me. We had a visitor today."

"Really? Who?" Rika sat up, concerned with who could be talking to Renamon.

"Someone from Hypnos. Yamaki wants all the Digimon to come to the main building for some sort of scan."

Rika was concerned. "I don't want you going. Yamaki has never treated Digimon right. Thanks to him and the Monster Makers I lost you. Then he stopped us from going to the Digital world. I don't trust him."

"Takato does."

"Takato isn't the boss of me. He may be the default leader, but he doesn't control you and he most certainly doesn't control me."

"Of course. So if the others go we won't?"

"No, we won't."

* * *

><p>One call could have saved Adman considerable hassle. One call and the plot forming at Hypnos might have been stopped, but Adman didn't make the call. He didn't because Rob McCoy was supposed to call him should Hypnos make a decision. In fact Adman's entire plan hinged on Rob calling him before Hypnos began testing. Rob was not Adman's friend though and so calling the boy in black wasn't Rob's priority. Amazing how one phone call can change so much for so many.<p> 


	16. Chapter Sixteen: The Raid

_Disclaimer: This work is for purely entertainment purposes and is not for profit. I do not own Digimon or any characters previously seen in Digimon. If anyone who does own Digimon sees this I am more than willing to help with the next season. Enjoy._

**Chapter Sixteen: The Raid**

On one fine day there was a knock on Rika's door. She opened it and admitted Takato.

"So what brings you here, Goggle-head?"

Takato, always trying to maintain the Tamers, replied, "I just wanted to tell you me and Guilmon are on our way to Hypnos. Henry's going to meet us down there. You coming?"

Rika scoffed. "No we aren't. Not today or ever." She'd made up her mind already.

Takato tilted his head, confused. "You have to admit it's strange to have Yamaki inviting us and the Digimon to the towers. He sure has done an about-face on his policy on human-Digimon relations."

"Just because he sent us an invite doesn't mean his intentions are any more pure than normal. Isn't it kind of suspicious to you that he invited all of us just out of the blue?"

Takato shook his head. "Not really. What can he do? Our Digimon are stronger than anything his organization has. Besides, this could be the start of something wonderful. Maybe Tamers are going to be welcomed as a special government unit. Or maybe they need our Digimon to help finish the new ark to from the Digital world. Wouldn't that be great? Humans able to go to the Digital world and meet their partners there whenever they want. This could be big, Rika. Don't you want to be a part of it?"

Rika folded her arms across her chest and turned away. "You make a convincing speech, Takato, but you're far too naive. Tell you what. You and Guilmon have fun, and if there's nothing going on then maybe I'll consider showing up to check and see if it's all on the up and up."

Takato nodded. "Well, ok. If that's what it takes to convince you then I'll head there by myself. See you later."

Takato was off with Guilmon in tow. Rika watched the pair go, heading in the direction of the towers that made up Hypnos. Few people knew about the shadow government building and its operations. After the D-reaper had used the building as the emergence point for an assault on the human world security, both physical and digital, had been beefed up. Officially Hypnos was disbanded, but then Hypnos had never been official to begin with. Rika worried about what her friends were walking into, but Takato was right about one thing. Any dirty tricks Yamaki tried they could handle.

* * *

><p>Rika had called up Henry and Takato later that day. Everyone but her had gone to Hypnos. Even Ryo, Cyberdramon and Beelzemon had answered the call. She wondered what was to be done. Takato said the Digimon were simply scanned in a small machine and sent on their way. Perhaps she had been paranoid. A simple scanner had infected Terriermon with the Juggernaut program though. She wasn't about to let something like that happen to Renamon. Then she thought about what Adman would say. He seemed like a paranoid individual. He would never even enter a government building unless it was to raid it for secrets. She laughed. Her choices of friends to follow were the gullible Takato Matsuki or the ever paranoid Adman Hows. She decided she would call Adman in the morning. Maybe he had a security detail or something that could investigate the inner workings of Hypnos. She wouldn't put it past him. If everything seemed on the up and up she would go to Hypnos with Renamon to have her scanned. It never hurt to get a second opinion. She went to bed with warm thoughts for the next day. Too bad things like that rarely work out.<p>

* * *

><p>It was two in the morning when Rika's phone woke her up with its constant ringing. There was only one person brave enough to call her at that ungodly hour.<p>

She answered in a grumpy mood, "Hello Adman. What do you want?"

Adman didn't even exchange his normal pleasantries with the girl. His voice was full of concern and purpose. "Rika, I need you to get out of the house now! Take Renamon and get out! I'll have a car waiting a block away."

Rika only half heard what he said. "What are you talking about?"

Adman was desperate for her to do what he said. "There's no time! Rika, it's Hypnos. They're after Renamon!"

Rika was fully awake now, but before she could ask anything else she heard a loud explosion coming from outside. She slid her bedroom door open, still in her simple pajamas. The front door to the property had been blown off its hinges and dozens of men in SWAT-type uniforms were rushing the property. Then a man in a dark blue suit and sunglasses walked through. Rika grew very angry. _Yamaki!_

She ran back into her room and shut the door. She had about thirty seconds before the men were on her.

Rika picked up the phone and hoped Adman was still on the other line. "They're already here. What's going on? What do I do?"

Adman came back, "I don't know. Give me a second. You may have to buy yourself some time."

All other conversation was cut off as the doors were forced open and there were several men storming into her darkened room, guns raised. The weapons had flashlights on the bottom that blinded Rika. From outside there was a deafening whirring as a helicopter flew by overhead; searchlights illuminated the grounds.

The men gave her commands through their face masks, "Where is it? Where's the Digimon?"

Rika held her hands up, afraid to do anything else without getting shot. "I don't know."

From somewhere in the room a smooth feminine voice came out, "Looking for me, boys?"

In a blur of yellow Renamon stormed into the room and began hammering into the SWAT members. Rika dived for her Digivice and her deck of cards. She swiped one and commanded, "Digi-modify! Speed activate!"

The boost in speed could only help Renamon. Several punches knocked the first guard out cold. The rest began firing their weapons at the fox. She vanished in an instant, reappearing behind them. A fan kick knocked two off balance. She clubbed a fourth guard in the head, knocking him out cold before disappearing again. Rika noticed the guns weren't firing bullets, but darts. For some reason Yamaki was trying to take Renamon alive.

The fox reappeared in front of one of the soldiers and ripped the gun from his hands. In one quick motion she sent the first man into three others. At this point every man Yamaki had sent in was either on the ground, dazed, or out cold.

Renamon offered a hand to her Tamer. "Let's get out of here."

Rika picked up her cell phone and Digivice before following Renamon. She'd dropped the phone during the fight and had disconnected from Adman. As they stepped out the spotlight focused on the Digimon.

A voice boomed from a megaphone above them, "We mean you no harm. Surrender peacefully and everything will be ok. We mean you no harm."

Renamon shoved Rika back into the room for cover while uttering, "They have a funny way of showing it."

She began delivering punishment to the men out in the garden. Kicking some into the pond. Tossing others into trees with her signature fighting style. She was fast. The men just kept coming though, and Yamaki just stood at the gate watching. The men swarmed the Digimon who took one of the men and put her back to a wall. She was using the man as a human shield so the others wouldn't fire. Her options had run out.

Yamaki approached the Digimon and yelled over the whir of the helicopter, "It's over, Renamon. Give it up. It's time to make things right."

Renamon tossed the guard to the ground and leapt into the air. She looked to the helicopter's spotlight and charged her signature attack. "Diamond storm!"

Before she could get it off the helicopter launched a net from a net gun which slammed her down to the ground, pinned.

Renamon struggled to break free. One of the bolts that had the net pinned to the ground was loose. If she could just get a few more out she would be free.

Then she heard several of the guards call out, "She's got a sword. Drop her!"

Rika was standing next to her Digimon with Adman's gift. She used it and cut one of the ropes holding down the net. Renamon fought harder. The men pointed their guns at the girl and pulled the triggers. In an instant Rika felt fear flush through her. What was she doing? How had everything gotten so crazy so fast?

Somehow Renamon had broken free just in time. She had used her freedom to teleport in the way of the darts. Rika caught her friend, who had nearly passed out from the drugs pumped into her. The Digimon fell to the ground and as Rika moved away a second net was thrown on Renamon. Rika backed into one of the outer walls of her property as the men surrounded her.

Yamaki pushed his way through. "I'm sorry, Rika. We have no choice. She's going home."

Before Yamaki could say another word the wall next to Rika collapsed under the force of a car driving through it.

A car door opened and an elderly man called to the girl, "Get in!"

Rika leapt into the car. The soldiers raised their weapons, but before they could fire their backs exploded knocking them down. Renamon had used the last of her strength to allow her Tamer to get away. A weak diamond storm attack was enough to stop the guards. The car struggled to drive back over the rubble it had caused going through the wall, but made it over and rapidly pulled away. As Rika sped away in the car with the stranger her mind was going a mile a minute. Were the others being hit just as hard? Why are they doing this?

The phone in her hand rang. Rika flicked it open and answered, "What the hell is going on?"

Adman came over the other end, "It's a raid. Hypnos is gathering all the Digimon simultaneously. They're sending them home; back to the Digital world."

The four-door sedan sped down into an underpass.

Adman came over the phone line, "Rika, it's not over yet. My contact tells me the chopper is still following and several black vans are giving chase. I'm sending backup. Take my laptop out of the glove box."

Rika opened the glove box, pulled a black laptop out and turned it on. "It's warming up! How is this going to help?"

Adman ignored the question and instructed her, "The password is dig819. Once you're in click the desktop icon that looks like a red circle."

Rika did what she was told. The red icon opened up and the computer screen went white. Then a progress bar popped up.

Rika went back to Adman on the phone. "There's a progress bar."

Adman replied, "Hang the laptop out the window. You'll be out of the overpass in thirty seconds. They will be on you."

Rika rolled the window down and held the laptop out, gripping it tight. As they exited the overpass they were bathed in light. The chopper was directly above them. Rika panicked for a second until the laptop made a slight ding. The progress bar had finished. The laptop began to glow and then something jumped out of the screen. It was Shadowmon, but it wasn't. He had changed. Now he had two dark red wings; leathery like a bat's. The shoulder armor with spikes was replaced with a full on metal chest plate. He was brandishing a six foot long sword and was flying straight for the helicopter.

He yelled out in his normal growl, "Shadow slash!"

The blade turned black and in an instant the helicopter was split in two by the speed and sharpness of the blade. The two pieces plummeted to the ground in a fiery explosion. Rika couldn't believe it. People were dying. Adman had ordered his Digimon to kill.

The flying warrior landed in the way of the black vans, which had to stop to avoid colliding with the dark Digimon. A continuum insignia on the chest plate slid away and a single spiked cord slipped out. It buried deep into the concrete.

The Digivolved Shadowmon smiled. "Darkness coil."

With that the cord reappeared, spiking the first van through the hood. The metal cord went after each and every van, detonating them on impact. Men in SWAT gear came screaming out of the wreckage burning. Shadowmon's champion form took off and followed Rika's green sedan.

Rika shouted over the phone, "Who the hell is that?"

Adman came back, "I see you've met Chaotimon. You still aren't out of the woods yet. Hold onto something."

Rika questioned what was going on, but then the driver took a hard right into a parking lot. A large semi-truck was parked there with the ramp down. The old man pulled the van inside of the truck and stepped out. He squeezed past the tight quarters and out of the inside of the semi-truck. They were hidden for now.

* * *

><p>Rika wanted to talk to Adman, but he was no longer on the other end. Chaotimon flew inside of the semi and paid the girl little notice. He took the laptop off of her lap and tapped a few keys. Then he sat it on the hood and began sealing off the ass end of the giant truck with himself, the green sedan and Rika still inside. The laptop began to glow again and a familiar figure in black flew through.<p>

Adman Hows brushed himself off. " Christ that takes a lot out of a guy. Sorry it took me so long. You ok?"

Rika couldn't believe it. Adman had a portable digital portal.

"Yeah, I guess. I mean no! They have Renamon! How did you know this was going to happen?"

Adman shut down the laptop. "I have a man inside Hypnos. He told me a raid was going down, but by the time I got through to you it was too late. Luckily Franklin was here."

Rika questioned him, "Franklin?"

"The old man who drove you around. He's my personal assistant, driver, friend, and, on paper, my actual boss. You see I'm technically listed as dead and dead men can't have a checking account so I left everything to Franklin so that I could keep spending after my untimely demise."

Any other day Rika would have been interested. Today she was just freaked out. "That's nice, but we have to go rescue the others. Hypnos is sending the Digimon to the Digital world!"

Adman lowered his head, "I could storm in there and get your Digimon back. I could kill everyone present and rescue the Digimon. Shadowmon and I could probably do it, but it'd be hard. Then what? All of you would have to go into hiding like me. If they want the Digimon to go back then we have a problem. I can't let you all live like that."

Rika thought of something. "I got it! You got them once. You can find them again. We'll hide them better this time. Yamaki won't think they'd be back so soon."

Adman sighed. "Not for a while, but they will eventually find out. The consequences will be even more severe than they were tonight. I don't know what can be done Rika."

Rika was losing hope. "So you're saying you won't help?"

Chaotimon stepped up to defend his master. "No, he's saying that there's nothing he can do. Believe me, we'd love to help, but we can't beat the whole damn world. We've tried. We're a small duo against a big government group. This has to be done delicately."

Adman nodded. "You can always come to my house and visit them through my portal, but they can't come back here. Digimon give off a faint signature when in the human world. Hypnos can track it. They even leave traces where they've been. That's why I had to blow up my jet. If they come back again then Yamaki will eventually find my hideout. Then he'll destroy my portal and nobody will be able to get to the Digital world. I'm sorry Rika, but I can't compromise everything I've been working on so that you can get your Digimon back."

Rika was getting angry. The night had been too much of a jarring on her nerves. Tears were trying to bubble up, but she resisted. "What about your Digimon! He gives off a signature too. You threaten your own security by keeping him around!"

Adman put a hand on the girls shoulder. She pushed it away. He tried explaining, "Shadowmon is different. He doesn't give off a signature."

Rika shoved him back violently. "That's bullshit!"

"I'm serious. Thanks to my experiments he's got enough human DNA in him to not give off a signature."

Rika demanded, "Then do the same to Renamon. Make her not give off a signature."

Adman was losing his patience. "It isn't that simple. Even I have limitations. The only DNA that can be fused with a Digimon is their partner's. Otherwise the body rejects it. There are side effects."

Rika pushed him again. "I don't care. I'll take those side effects. She will too. I can't lose my friend again."

Adman lost his temper. He ripped off the glove on his right arm and waved his black clawed hand inches from her face, screaming at her, "Could you take this! Could you deal with being a monster? Losing your humanity inch by inch? It isn't safe and that's that. There can be no more hybrids! I won't let you become a **monster** like me!"

With that Adman slumped down to the edge of the moving truck, emotionally exhausted.

Rika began sobbing. She slumped down next to him and looked at his covered head. He wasn't doing much better. She'd pushed him too far. She moved in closer and patted him on the shoulder. He didn't so much as move.

Rika reached over and tapped the black warped hand; looking up at the broken warrior, "And you don't seem to understand I'd do anything for my friend. I trusted you just to get her back! No matter what the consequences I will get her back. I can't let Hypnos separate her from me again, even if that means losing some of my humanity. I'm willing to accept the side effects."

Adman moved his warped hand away from hers and set it on his lap. He knew she'd do anything for Renamon. Her devotion was admirable, but as he looked on at the blackened warped arm he couldn't imagine anyone becoming like that. It wasn't part of the plan. Then again none of this had been part of the plan. McCoy was supposed to have called him before things went south so he could gather the Tamers and hide them. They would have had to join with him to repel this new enemy. Two sides united by a common foe. It was textbook, but Rob had fucked it up by not calling early. Now his options were limited.

Adman looked at his human hand before glancing at the blackened one in disgust. "You may be willing to accept the side effects, but I'm not. I can't let you or the others become like me. I'm sorry Rika. I know you don't want to lose your friend, and you won't. I just can't give you the life you used to have with them. I tried, but it wasn't meant to be. I'm sorry. Sorry I snapped too. It's just you don't seem to understand how hard all this is. You think it's easy to traverse worlds, dodge government organizations and keep everything from fucking up? Well it's not! I'm fucking tired and I'm not getting any support."

When Adman was done with his outburst and Rika had regained her compsure Adman stood up and opened the door to the sedan. He motioned for her to get in.

"You should get some rest. Franklin's going to be circling the city in hopes that we might bump into one of the others. We may not have been the only ones who got away."

Rika looked at the sedan with disdain. "Sleeping in there? No thanks. I don't think I could sleep anyway."

Adman slumped into the seat and put on his sunglasses. "Fine by me. I need to sleep though. The portable portal drains you when you use it. And this world doesn't sustain me like the Digital world. Too many needs here. How can you guys tolerate living here?" He was trying to lighten the atmosphere.

Rika walked around and sat in the seat next to him. "It isn't so bad here. This sort of thing doesn't happen every day. You know I think I know what your problem is."

Adman grinned. "I'm all ears."

"You're selfish." She'd meant it as a joke, but Adman didn't take it that way.

Adman's black claws instinctively dug into upholstery of his seat. He tried to remain calm as he asked, "Say again?"

Rika repeated herself, "You're selfish. You have all this great stuff, but you're hoarding it to yourself. When we get all the Digimon back you have to let us use some of it."

Adman smiled weakly. "Because that's what friends do?"

Rika nodded. "Mhmm. Like the mobile portal thing. Why can't we use that?"

Adman pulled a device from his pocket. "You need a beacon when you're in the Digital world. Something to lock-on to. Otherwise it doesn't do you any good. That and humans like you can't use it. Unlike a static portal that gets energy from its source this one requires power from the user. It would kill you from the drain. My arm is the only thing that saves me."

Rika nodded. That was her latest idea, shot down yet again.

Adman took a deep breath to collect himself. He needed to vent some of his demons. "You know what I'm doing is for the good of the Tamers right? We're a scarce breed, but I'm trying to make us stronger. I hope you guys know that."

Exhaustion was overwhelming Rika. She laughed sarcastically. "You're doing a bang-up job. All of the Digimon are being rounded up and detained. Good going."

Adman slouched in the sedan. This was all his fault. He wouldn't even mind if it hadn't all gone fubar so quickly. His head hung low in a fit of depression. Rika was nodding off. Her sleep had been interrupted, and she had been through so much in such a short time. Shadowmon watched the two from his perch on the hood of the sedan. The young girl stretched and leaned against her car door. Adman did the same with his.

Before sleep overtook Rika she decided to let Adman's conscience be at ease slightly. After all he was her only shot at saving Renamon. "For what it's worth, I don't think you're a monster."

Adman looked at his right hand again and slowly clenched it before putting it in his pocket. "Thank you."

"Tomorrow we're going to get Renamon back, right?"

"I'll do everything I can to make sure you see her again. I promise."

Rika had a hard time believing in promises.


	17. Chapter Seventeen: Saying Goodbye Again

_Disclaimer: This work is for purely entertainment purposes and is not for profit. I do not own Digimon or any characters previously seen in Digimon. Adman quotes a line from Robert Frost's poem 'the Road Not Taken'. The Ghost of Christmas Future is also referenced in this chapter. This is a Dickens character from his classic ' A Christmas Carol'. I don't own either subject and am only using them in entertainment purposes. I do not profit from them. If anyone who does own Digimon sees this I am more than willing to help with the next season. Enjoy._

**Chapter Seventeen: Saying Goodbye Again**

Rika and Adman had fallen asleep in a sedan inside of a semi. Adman grinned in comfort as he started to move closer to wakefulness. The seat was soft, his body was warm, and he detected the faint smell of cherry blossoms wafting through the air. Franklin hit a bump and jarred Adman into full consciousness. Sunlight poured through a single crack in the double doors. Adman's eyes went wide as he realized things had shifted during the evening. Rika was sleeping on Adman's shoulder now and he slowly removed himself without waking the girl. As he remembered what had happened Adman calmed slightly. Nothing had happened between the two. He relaxed and tried to recall the comforting feeling he'd had before waking. It was a conflicting feeling. He was happy she was comfortable enough to be that close to him, but he knew the second she woke up she'd cease to be so comfortable with it. He took off his jacket and wrapped it around her as a blanket. He could at least give her that kindness. After what she'd been through he didn't she deserved a little peace. The dark warrior checked his watch. It was 8:30 in the morning and Adman was glad that Rika could sleep so peacefully after the night's events. He made his way to the front of the container, passing Shadowmon who was asleep on the hood of the sedan, curled up like a dog.

Adman pressed a call button and whispered into a speaker, "Please be quiet, Franklin, but how are we in terms of gas?"

Franklin came back as quiet as the speaker would allow, "Not too bad considering I've been circling this damn city for the past six hours."

Adman hit the button to reply. "Thanks. Fill her up at the next gas station. We'll ditch the sedan there."

"You got it."

Adman slipped back next to Rika. He folded up his glove and tucked it in between her head and the seat so she had some sort of pillow. She was still fairly close, but he wasn't going to object to that. He could enjoy the human closeness a little longer. As he sat there listening to Rika breathe gently, and Shadowmon snoring on the hood, he concluded that she and the other Tamers had been a good investment if for no other reason than that they made him feel human again. Rika stirred and he moved away. "Sorry. I didn't mean to wake you."

Rika sat up and stretched. "No problem. Actually that was the best sleep I've ever gotten in the back of a huge U-Haul."

Adman laughed. "Exactly how much practice do you have in that?"

Rika kicked him gently, like siblings on a road trip. "Stop it! You know I was just being funny."

"Me too. We're getting off at the next gas station. It may be a little cramped in the cab up front so someone may have to sit on someone's lap."

Rika got out of the sedan. "That will be you on Shadowmon. It only seems fair."

Adman laughed, but inwardly sighed, '_can't blame a guy for trying.' _Just as well anyway. The girl may be comfortable, but he couldn't afford to be. He had to be focused or he'd screw something up.

* * *

><p>At the gas station the group had a quick breakfast of gas station muffins and bottled juice. Adman walked out of the gas station and tossed a chocolate muffin to a black puddle. A sharp coil sprung out of it like the stinger of a scorpion and skewered the muffin before pulling it into the shadow.<p>

Adman grinned at this as he told the Digimon, "Eat up, boy. Today may pan out to be a 'kick some serious ass' day."

The Digimon began chewing from inside the shadow. "Aren't they all?"

Adman tried for some morning small talk with his fellow Tamer. "So what did you decide upon with your father?"

Rika replied, "I'm going to try and see him every weekend. If that's ok with you that is?"

Before Adman could say a word Franklin yelled in objection, "Once a week? The cost of fuel alone…! Adman, we can't keep this up! You need to reduce your spending."

Adman snarled back at him, "Hey you shit the bed! I told you not to marry that woman without a pre-nup! You cost us half our money! I'll work harder when we get home, but in the meantime I'm going to enjoy myself. I'm trying to clean the sheets, but get off my back."

Franklin rubbed his temples. "We need to change our spending habits."

Rika offered, "I can say once a month with my dad if it's a big deal."

Franklin seemed grateful, but Adman immediately cut in, "No, no, no. If it's important to you I can handle it. I made a promise and I intend to keep it."

Franklin just walked away. It was a fight he knew he wouldn't win.

* * *

><p>Rika was adjusting her hair when she looked over and spotted Adman eyeing her with an amused look on his face. She asked, "What are you smiling at?"<p>

Adman only grinned more, trying hard to keep from chuckling at some private joke of his. Finally Adman said, "I want to say something, but I don't want you to be offended."

Rika rolled her eyes. She knew she was going to regret inquiring even before she told him, "Just say it."

Adman let out a small snicker before confessing, "I just love the thought of you being some gas station chick."

Rika glared at him and clenched her fist threateningly. "I still have my sword in the back. Explain what you mean by that before I get it."

Adman explained, "I just love the idea of you getting all prim and proper in a gas station bathroom."

Rika relaxed slightly. That wasn't as bad as what she'd come to expect him to say. "I just splashed some water on my face. So what? You went in there too."

Adman shrugged. "I'm used to it though. You don't seem as resilient."

Rika growled, "You don't think I'm tough enough! Well let me tell you something, mister! I've lost my best friend, had my house raided, I can only imagine what's happening to my friends, I'm a fugitive, I'm a witness to mass murder, and I'm stuck relying on some guy I barely know to help me solve all of this! Considering all that I'd think having to use a public bathroom would be the least of my concerns, and while we're at it I'd like to say considering everything that's happened I'm handling everything pretty goddamn well! So don't you tell me I'm not resilient!"

Adman shrugged. "Told you you'd take offense."

Rika began dialing her mother on her cell phone. Adman took the phone from her before she could finish.

"What are you doing?"

Rika took the phone back. "Calling my mom. I just realized I haven't spoken to her since last night."

"They may be monitoring your house. They may have even tapped the phones."

"I'll make it quick. I just want to know if she's ok."

Adman placed a calm hand on her shoulder. "Ok, but here are the ground rules. No mentioning where we are or who you're with. If she asks; you're with a friend. Keep it under a minute. Understood?"

Rika agreed. The phone began to ring and Adman tapped her shoulder again. "Put it on speaker phone."

Rika hit the button and waited for her mother to pick up.

The phone was finally answered and Rika's mother came through, sounding incredibly concerned. "Rika, is that you?"

Rika replied happily, "Yeah mom, it's me. Is everything alright?"

"Not even slightly. Those men from Hypnos blew up our front gate and shot up the place. The western wall is gone too. For a while I thought they had you! Is everything ok?"

Rika sighed. "I'm fine, mom. Mom, they took Renamon."

Her mother sounded sad. "I'm sorry to hear that. We'll get her back. We'll sue the bastards. Where are you?"

Rika remembered Adman's coaching. "I'm at a friend's house."

"Like Takato? Or Henry? I just want to see you."

"Mom, I'm fine. I just can't come home yet."

"Rika, I need to see you."

Adman forced the phone shut. "She was being coached. Apparently Hypnos is still watching."

Rika looked at him angrily. Then she put the phone away with a sad look on her face. "I didn't get to tell her I love her."

"She knows. You'll see her again anyway. I promise."

"So what's the plan?"

Adman opened the passenger door to the large truck. He pulled out a duffle bag and unzipped it. Inside was a small automatic rifle. He slapped a magazine in the bottom and pulled a bar to bring a round to the chamber.

"We have two options. We can kick some ass and scatter the Digimon. We'll be buying them time at best, but they'll be free. Or you can go in there, say goodbye, and I'll let you visit Renamon whenever you want at my house. Either way I'll cover you."

Rika thought about what to do.

Franklin interrupted her thoughts. "Excuse me, Ms. Nonaka. I believe you left this in the sedan."

Rika turned around. He had her katana. Adman was proud that she had it.

Rika set her sword into the back of the truck. "It might be better if we go in with a more subtle approach. We can get Renamon back from the Digital world later, right? Let's go with that approach and keep people from dying if we can. So how are you going in?"

Adman pulled a black ski mask from the gym bag and slipped it over his head. "Just in case."

Then he took it off and returned it to the bag.

* * *

><p>Adman, Rika and Shadowmon were in the back of the semi looking through Adman's bag of supplies. Adman didn't look happy.<p>

"Franklin, you didn't bring all my stuff!"

Rika asked Adman, "What else do you need?"

His hand found something in the pack and he pulled out a canteen. "Oh jackpot!"

He undid the top and sniffed. "Jack Daniel's! The budget's never too small for my addictions."

Shadowmon grabbed the canteen. "Forget it. We need you functioning for this."

Adman struggled to get the canteen back. "I function better drunk. Give it back."

Rika took the canteen from Shadowmon and told Adman, "Resist the urge for right now."

Adman looked at the canteen longingly. His gaze went back and forth from Rika, to Shadowmon, to the canteen. "Fine. You two suck."

Adman examined the contents of the pack more thoroughly. "Let's see. We have one magazine of ammunition for my rifle. We have my medical pack; won't be needing that hopefully. We have my basic hack tool. That's not going to do much in Hypnos, but I'll try it. No bullet-proof vest. No glass cutters. I'll have to use my claws now. No C4! Franklin! You didn't pack the C4! You know I like at least one chunk in all my packs!"

The old man replied, "We're cutting back. Make do with what you have."

Adman grumbled, "Make do with what I have? Sure. Give me rocks and sticks and expect me to defeat a battalion. Fucking primitive. Oh! Here we go!"

The dark Tamer pulled a small round device about the size and shape of a human thumb. Then he pulled out a bag of ear buds.

Rika had to ask, "What are those?"

Adman explained, "A peaceful solution." He pulled out two ear buds and put them in. He handed a pair to Rika. Shadowmon and Franklin each put some in as well.

Rika asked, "What are these for?"

Adman told her, "Put them in."

She did. Adman pressed a button on the little device and asked her, "Hear that?"

Rika shook her head no. Adman pressed the button again. "Take the earplugs out."

Rika did. Adman hit the button a third time. She instantly doubled over in pain and then fell to the ground.

Adman pressed the button again and Rika recovered. She yelled at him, "What the hell was that!"

Adman explained, "High frequency sound waves designed for crowd control. The U.S. is working on something similar, but mine is a little bit more crippling. Then again theirs is for crowd control and whereas mine is to stun an entire area while I make my escape. The special earplugs block out the sound so you can't hear it. Take the whole bag. Give them to the others if you find them. If things get bad I'll immobilize the whole area. Only people with plugs will be safe."

Rika looked at the small baggie of earplugs. "Where am I supposed to hide these?"

Adman grinned. "Pretend Hypnos is the U.S. border and that's a condom full of coke. Use your imagination."

Rika glared at him. "Just lend me you jacket. I need some pockets anyway."

Adman chuckled. "That works too. They might find it though, and my way'll make a better story. You know a plus about you? At least you get my jokes. Well only one thing left to do now I guess. We are in agreement of you going back, right? I've got the number for Hypnos in my phone I think. "

Rika didn't need it. She had Yamaki's cell number. He'd called her on an earlier occasion. She called Yamaki directly, waiting for the bastard to pick up.

Yamaki eventually answered. "I've been expecting your call."

"I know you're sending the Digimon all away. I want to try and convince you not to."

"And I want to explain to you why I can't do that. Let's meet in person."

"I'm heading your way as we speak. No armed guards or I walk."

"As you wish. Most of the others are already here. We're just mopping up a few stragglers and then we can put this ugliness behind us."

"I doubt that." Rika hung the phone up on him. She thought to herself, '_stragglers!'_

* * *

><p>Adman made a call to his man on the inside while they were driving. Rika listened in on Adman's side of the conversation.<p>

"I heard Yamaki say there were stragglers. Did someone besides us get away?….. Really? Didn't think the little fellah had it in him. They got Lopmon though?… Too bad. Me and Rika are getting ready to come to play. Stay out of our way. Good luck."

Rika asked, "Who was that?"

"My man on the inside. He says Terriermon and Henry got away."

"Really? We might have a chance at forming an effective resistance if I can just get to Renamon. Her, Shadowmon and Terriermon can take out the best of 'um."

Adman shook his head. "We don't know how to find him. Yamaki's got the resources in this city. I don't. He can lock onto Terriermon's signal. They're probably zeroing in on him as we speak. Unless we just happen to spot him on the way there he's on his own."

Rika pouted. "So how are you getting in?"

Adman looked at his black Digimon slithering in his shadow form alongside the truck. "I have my ways. I'll be ok. Me and Shadowmon will get in. He'll be with you once I get into position."

"Don't you think he'll be noticed?"

Adman tugged on the sleeve of his leather jacket Rika was still wearing. "He can fuse with anything black. Wear this and he'll be able to stay right on your shoulders without anyone being the wiser. Put your back to a wall or something and his transition from me to you will be seamless."

Rika looked at him in his white undershirt and one arm length glove. She told him, "You look kind of stupid right now."

Adman went with it. "Good to know. Hey since we're on my looks I've been wanting a female perspective. I've been thinking of growing a goatee. What do you think?"

Rika shook her head in disbelief. "Are you trying to make yourself look like a T.V. villain?"

Adman ignored the comment. "No seriously. I value your opinion."

Rika took another look at Adman's smooth face and then looked away. "I think men with facial hair look ugly."

Adman ran his hand along his face. "Good to know. So that's one 'no vote' for a goatee. I'll ask Jeri later. Can't hurt to get a second opinion."

* * *

><p>Henry Wong was sitting with his little green rabbit of a Digimon. They were each eating a large cheeseburger. The two were sitting in public in broad daylight. That alone was strange for too fugitives on the run.<p>

Henry wiped ketchup from his Digimon's chin. "You know I'm going to miss you, right?"

The little Digimon wrapped his ears around his Tamer in a hug. "Momentai, Henry. I'll see you again."

"I know, but it's always so hard without you. I feel incomplete. Suzie will miss you too."

"Tell here that I'll take good care of Lopmon."

"Remember what I said to Takato back when he first lost Guilmon? I told him 'nothing lasts forever'. He said that the partnership between a Digimon and Tamer 'can and will'. I guess we'll see who was right."

"For what it's worth I hope he was right."

"Me too. You want something else?"

Terriermon shook his head. "No, I think I'm ready."

A black van pulled up next to the two eating at an outside table.

Henry sighed. "Right on time."

Terriermon set his head on the table. He wrapped a single long ear around his Tamer's hand until they were pulled away from each other by the men in the black van. Terriermon cringed when a dart was shot to the back of his neck. He was out seconds later.

Henry hated the rough treatment of his Digimon. "Come on! Be gentle with him! He's not fighting back!"

Tears started to leek from Henry's eyes as he and Terriermon were put into different vehicles. "He's not fighting back. Terriermon."

* * *

><p>Adman was dropped off a block away from the Hypnos building. He walked the rest of the way, staying out of view, with his assault rifle strapped to his back. Shadowmon was right behind him slithering on the ground. They climbed to the top of a nearby parking garage. Adman looked through a small scope on the rifle. There was nobody in the office room directly across from them. Adman turned his gaze to the front door. Franklin had dropped Rika off at the front door and sped away.<p>

Adman clicked off the safety "Show time. Shadowmon, we're going in through that window. Take me there."

Adman sunk into a black puddle. The shadow slithered to street level and then straight up the side of Hypnos. When it was next to the window Adman had indicated his head popped out of the shadow and he inspected the window more closely. "Doesn't look like it's set up for an alarm."

Shadowmon wisely stated, "Why would it be? We're four floors up. Who's going to break in from this height?"

Adman's head retracted. His blackened hand appeared next. One sharp index finger slowly traced a groove into the glass. In went around in a circle until a section of the glass fell out. They'd made a hole. Adman's hand retracted and Shadowmon's shadow slowly slithered through the hole and into the building.

Adman popped out of the hole next and dug through his supplies. "We're in. Mask is on. Glove is…back on now. Time to find their portal room. Hopefully we can outpace Rika."

Shadowmon was Adman's shadow as the dark warrior peeked outside the door. Nobody was in the hallway. Good. Adman stepped out. There were bathrooms, a stairway in the distance. A map. A map! There was a small map detailing the building's layout on the wall. It was supposedly for fire safety, but Adman didn't care. He chuckled. "They make this too easy."

He examined the map before placing an index finger on a spot. If the Digimon were being sent out anywhere it was going to be there; somewhere in the upper levels.

Adman and Shadowmon were snickering about how easy it was to find a map when they heard people coming in from further down the hall. Adman darted into the bathroom with his shadow trailing behind. As luck would have it three men followed Adman into the bathroom. The men talked as they entered. Adman listened without really listening, hiding in a stall, until her heard a terrifying phrase.

"I need to use the toilet."

Adman's eyes went wide. There were three stalls. He was perched upon a toilet on the furthest stall. That meant he had a one in three chance of being caught. The employee walked to the stall while still talking to his coworkers in a raspy voice. Adman's stall door swung in and a gloved hand quickly seized the man by the throat and pulled him further in. Adman squeezed tightly while Shadowmon appeared and stopped the arms from flailing. Within seconds the employee was out cold; all done without much noise.

One of the other men called after his fallen coworker, "Hey Shizo, you alright?"

Apparently they'd noticed the silence. Adman pointed to Shadowmon, who's voice more closely resembled the knocked out man's. Shadowmon took a deep breath and imitated the voice. "Yeah. I was just shocked by the conditions of these bathrooms."

The two waited for a response. They heard, "Yeah, I know. Hey are you going to be in there long? We need to get back to work."

Shadowmon replied, "You guys go on ahead. I'll see you there in a few."

They heard the sound of the two men leaving. Adman slowly exited the stall and looked around. The workers were gone. He whispered, "That was fucking close."

Shadowmon retorted dryly, "Imagine if you'd been drunk."

Adman didn't respond to that. Instead he said, "We need to cover our bases. I'm heading up to the room marked on the map. I want you to hide the knocked out dude somewhere where he won't be found and then find a security room of some kind. Knock out the cameras."

Shadowmon nodded. The two parted ways.

* * *

><p>Yamaki slid a keycard through a reader and entered a sealed off part of the Digimon testing area. Inside were all the captured Digimon. Renamon was suspended from the ceiling. Her arms locked together by thick metal gauntlets. Guilmon was pinned to a wall with a thick metal facemask fitted to his head to prevent fireballs. Lopmon and Terriermon had similar headgear that kept them from performing any attacks. Cyberdramon was basically encased in metal. He growled as the man entered. Yamaki smiled. The dragon-like Digimon had put up one hell of a fight. It pained Yamaki to see the heroes that saved both worlds reduced to prisoners though. Beelzemon was being heavily sedated. He was barely conscious, but still was heavily bolted to a chair. Guardromon was almost free. He had two metal plates bolted to his arms to prevent missile attacks. Electricity was running through the Digimon constantly to keep it stunned. Yamaki looked inside of what looked like a plastic hamster ball. Calumon and MarineAngemon were stored inside. Strange how differently they all had to be stored.<p>

Yamaki walked past all the others; up to Guilmon and Renamon. "Let me start off by saying that I'm sorry for all of this. You don't deserve this, but there are people even further up than I. I gave other suggestions, but they rejected them. In fact they demanded we delete you all on site. I appreciate you all too much to do that. So a compromise was made. I'm sending you all back to the Digital world."

Renamon was still drugged, but she managed to focus enough to ask, "Why?"

Yamaki flipped his lighter open before shutting it again. "Because your little group is responsible for all the Digimon bio-emerging as of late. Or may always have been. It took us years to create a firewall strong enough to block Digimon from getting through, but when a Digimon does make it to the human world they seem to make a weak spot in the barrier between the two worlds. Our tests on you confirmed it."

Terriermon quipped angrily, "Those tests were a trap! I shoulda known after Henry's dad pulled the same stunt."

Yamaki focused on the rabbit. "I'm sorry, but as long as you all stay in the human world you are a direct threat to humanity. Think about all the close calls you have made with your Tamers. How many times has only blind luck saved them? That luck won't hold out forever. Sometime in the future a Digimon will come through, stronger than ever before. You may beat it, but not without substantial loss of life in the crossfire. What if one of those casualties was Henry?"

Yamaki turned to Guilmon. "Or Takato? Could any of you live with your Tamers, or anyone for that matter, getting hurt or killed because you refused to go where you really belonged?"

Guilmon struggled. "I belong here! With Takato!"

Yamaki put his lighter away. "Believe me, you don't. Deep down you know you don't."

The man in the suit took off his sunglasses and pocketed them. "I can just drug you all. We can pull you through those gates in chains like animals, but I don't want to do that. I respect you too much for that. Here's what I'm willing to do for you though. You agree to go peacefully. We'll send you off with a hero's goodbye. Cameramen will document the whole thing. You'll be awarded Medals of Honor. Then we'll play you off. You'll say goodbye to your Tamers and go quietly into that portal back to the Digital world. When we finally get the ark up and running your Tamers will be able to go visit you whenever they want. It's your choice."

Renamon looked at Guilmon. The two nodded their heads solemnly. They looked around the room. Everyone else seemed to nod as well.

Beelzemon forced his right hand to give a slight thumbs up. "As long as I get to see Ai and Mako one last time."

Yamaki put his glasses back on. "That can be arranged."

* * *

><p>The Tamers had been waiting in a sterilized room for the past ten hours for Yamaki to come in and say anything. All of them had been woken up in the dead of night by Yamaki's men in black. Most of the Digimon hadn't even had time to Digivolve. Impmon and Cyberdramon had put up a decent fight. Renamon was said to have kicked considerable ass as well. Henry and Rika were the only ones to escape. Henry was brought in half an hour ago. Apparently the only Tamer still on the run was Rika. All the Digimon had been drugged. Takato sighed. She had been right. Rika said this was all a big trick by Yamaki. Now they were confused and isolated from their Digimon. Guilmon hadn't even woken up when the men came for him. There was a dart in the dinosaur's neck before either of them could react. How could he have been so stupid as to trust Yamaki? Henry and Ryo were sitting calmly on a couch in the room. Kenta sat hunched in a corner trying not to cry. Kazu had been pounding on the door and screaming for the past thirty minutes. Takato just sat on a plastic chair waiting for someone to bring them news. Would they ever see their Digimon again? Would the Tamers survive this midnight abduction? Takato looked at Ai and Mako, sitting at his feet. He felt the worst for them and Suzie. They were too young to act brave. The worst thoughts imaginable floated through their minds unchecked. Suzie was sitting next to her big brother holding him. How could this have happened? Everything they had worked for gone so quickly. Jeri was there too and that made Takato furious. She had no Digimon. Why take her? The event had rocked her foundation to the core. She held her legs close to her chest and wouldn't look at anything. She hadn't said a word to anybody either.<p>

The door opened and Rika Nonaka was pushed into the room onto Kazu. Then the door was slammed shut and locked again.

Kazu's cheeks went red. "Um hi Rika. Nice of you to drop in."

She rolled off of him angrily. "Shove it. Is everyone ok?"

Takato was glad to see her, though sad that she too was captured. That meant everyone who could have helped was in that room. He sighed, but put on a happy face for the group. "That kinda depends on what you mean by fine."

Rika looked around. "Jeri's here?"

Takato stood up. "Yeah. They took her when they took Calumon. They took her Digivice too. Those bastards have no idea what it's doing to her. That was the last thing she had to remember Leomon."

Jeri looked up from her trance at that word. "Leomon?" She didn't see him and so went back to her dazed huddle. "And Calumon now too."

Rika sat down next to Takato. It was strange. Aside from Henry and Ryo everyone was in their pajamas or other sleeping attire. Rika was in light pink bottoms and a white tank top with Adman's jacket over her shoulders. She was barefoot like the rest of them.

Takato noticed the jacket and exclaimed, "I forgot about Adman! That's his jacket isn't it? Is he involved? I can't believe he's all we have left."

Rika looked around her friends; paranoia was rubbing off on her. "The room might be being monitored so let's not say too much."

She pulled Takato close and whispered into his ear, "He's already here. He says he can guarantee our safety, but the Digimon are another story." Slowly she handed him the sack of earplugs. "Carefully pass this around and have everyone put these in. They're important."

As they passed the earplugs around Rika asked Kazu, "Why are you so worked up?"

Kazu grumbled, "I didn't even get a fight in. They shocked Guardromon and took him away. They got my Digivice too."

Mako spoke proudly, "Impmon took out quite a few guys. He sure is strong."

Ryo encouraged him, "Oh really? How many?"

Ai chimed in, "Like a million I think!"

Rika put earplugs in the ears of the kids as she asked Ryo, "What about you? How many did you beat back?"

Ryo looked sad, "Too many. I had to restrain Cyberdramon while they subdued him to keep him from killing anybody. It was either that or let him go wild."

Takato told Ryo, "I know it's hard, but you did the right thing."

Kenta moved closer to whisper to the others, "What's the plan?"

Rika tried to explain it as quietly as possible.

* * *

><p>There was one room with dozens of cameras monitoring Hypnos. For all that there was one guard sitting at a chair monitoring them. Suddenly a metallic coil wrapped around his neck and pulled tight. The guard was out before he could really resist.<p>

Adman's voice came to Shadowmon, "You in?"

They were communicating through Adman's Digivice.

Shadowmon replied, "I'm in. Turning off the cameras now."

After a brief inspection Shadowmon found the switches and began flipping them. "Hypnos is going dark, sir."

"There's a door that's guarded and locked. If I can make a distraction can you undo the lock?"

Shadowmon looked in vain for a switch to unlock doors. "It must be on a different terminal. You'll have to hack it. I'll hide the guard and then be with you shortly."

* * *

><p>Adman was busy trying to find a distraction. He was watching a break room from a broom closet just shy of the room he needed to get past. It hadn't been easy to get there, but he'd made it. In the next room was a thick metal door with a security card keypad. He might be able to hack it, but not with the two guards stationed outside of it. He needed a distraction. A small group of coworkers were celebrating the retirement of one of its older members in the break room.<p>

Adman stared longingly at their buffet of cake and boxed wine. He grumbled internally, '_these fuckers get to drink at the office? All this time I thought I was the only one.'_

The group saw the retired person off and then left the break room, allowing Adman to slip in. His first priority was to grab a plastic cup and fill it with some of the wine. '_I've been good long enough. Huh, I don't suffer from addiction. I enjoy every minute of it._'

He downed it in one swig and then made a wretched face. '_Cheap bastards. This wine is horrible.'_

With the box of wine in hand Adman began to hatch a plan involving the office microwave. He placed the box of wine into the microwave and set the dial for six minutes. It was a makeshift bomb.

Moments later Shadowmon found Adman hiding behind a desk in an office. He was watching the guarded door intently. The fox asked, "What are we waiting for?"

There was a loud bang and the guards immediately ran to check on it. The room was now empty. Adman moved towards the door and removed a panel. "I just blew up their microwave. That should give us a minute of free time. Get in here and pull the alarm wire."

The dark fox slithered into the incredibly small crawl space Adman had opened up.

The fox called out from inside, "I think I got it."

Adman pulled out his hack tool and began the hack. "You think or you're sure? Cuz if this alarm goes off we're both screwed."

Shadowmon growled from inside the crawl space, "No, I'm not sure. I wasn't the one who they trained to hack doors. That was you. I could always just shift through them. So no, I'm not sure. I think I got it because I've seen you do this hundreds of times, but if you want to be certain then you do it."

Adman continued the hack. "I trust you. Sending the first attempt through now."

"Nothing. I guess I got the wire."

"Nah. These things give you a two attempt limit. You fuck up on number three then they send the alarm. Sending number two."

"Still nothing."

"Number three I guess, Moment of truth. We need the Mission Impossible music playing while we do this shit…"

The door began to open; two thick parts pulled to opposite sides.

Adman put his back to the wall in panic. "That wasn't me."

A woman walked out from the room inside. She noticed the absence of guards and then noticed the intruder in a black ski mask and white shirt. They looked at each other in startled fear for a moment before a coil slithered around her throat and kept her from screaming. Adman ran and delivered a quick straight which knocked her out cold. They dragged her into the room and checked for others.

Adman panicked. "The panel. I need to put it back!"

He darted out and put the metal cover back. The doors began to shut, but Adman leapt through just in time. He and Shadowmon laughed to expel their nervousness. It had been a close call. The two checked to make sure the woman was alive and then looked around. They were in the heart of Hypnos now. It was a giant room of sheet metal and wires. A large round dome of some kind covered the ceiling with two chairs at its center. The woman Adman had knocked out was Riley Ootori: Hypnos operator and love interest of Matsuo Yamaki, but of course Adman didn't know that. He commanded Shadowmon, "Take her and hide her somewhere. I'll look around."

Hypnos put two of their best operatives inside the dome and used them to track digital anomalies globally. Down on the floor was what looked like a ten foot long black bean with spikes coming out of it. Tubes and wires streamed from this terrifying metal device; the Juggernaut core. Juggernaut pulled Digimon to it like a magnet, but had a tendency to rip open the fabric between the human world and the Digital world. It had been decommissioned years ago, but the fact that it was there at all was a testament to Hypnos' long history of bad idea. Adman opened an unlocked door and found what he was looking for. There was the gate. Compared to Adman's portal the Hypnos version seemed primitive in his eyes. He got better connectivity with his laptop version. Granted the laptop version sucked a massive amount of energy from those who used it, but he would trade the drain for portability. He approached it and laughed as he realized what it was. There were no identifiable markings, but he could tell it was SAI technology. That was the company he worked for. It was one of his! Selling them to government agencies had been a mistake, but he'd needed the money at the time, and they were the highest bidder. It seemed like he always needed the money nowadays. He examined it intently and realized Hypnos hadn't done anything to it. It was still exactly as it had been sent to them. Yet another thing he hated about government; no imagination. There were other devices in the room too, but Adman could only identify so many. Adman walked up a short set of stairs to an overlook area of the portal. This was where the Digimon would be sent away. He began climbing up a small section of pipe in hopes of reaching a safe hiding spot.

As he climbed Adman called down to Shadowmon, "I'm in position. Go find Rika and look after the others. You have permission to kill if you feel they're in severe risk. Use discretion though."

The fox slithered away to find the girl. From Adman's position in the rafters above the roof he could see everything. He was hiding almost directly on top of a light fixture which made him very hard to see from below. He looked around at the giant room. The ceiling was almost fifty feet high. Several men carrying television cameras walked in. Adman couldn't believe it. T.V. cameras inside Hypnos? What was their game? He checked his rifle one last time. Whatever Yamaki was planning Adman would be sure to be there.

* * *

><p>The doors to the holding room the Tamers had been in opened and Yamaki stepped in. Ryo and Kenta had to hold Kazu back.<p>

Kazu began hurling obscenities and insults at the Hypnos director, "You snake in the grass, where's Guardromon? Give him back to me, you bastard!"

Yamaki sat down on one of the couches and waited for Kazu to calm down before speaking. "I'm sorry for the way you were all brought here, but it was a matter of global security."

Rika stood up. "That's bullshit."

He ignored the girl. "Your Digimon have unknowingly been making weak points in the fabric between the two worlds. Ever since Juggernaut destroyed the D-reaper the Digimon have been adapting ways to survive in the real world again. Now whenever a Digimon comes into this world it leaves behind an unseen trail connecting it to the Digital world. Other Digimon use this trail to enter our world as well. So long as your Digimon are in the human world others will follow. After the Parasimon attack we couldn't take chances. So we're sending your Digimon back to their world.

Takato had been silent, but he stood up at this. "You can't do that! What about those tests you ran? Can't they help at all?"

Yamaki flicked his lighter open and closed in the normal way he does. "The test confirmed that the Digimon are in fact making it easier for other Digimon to emerge. We as of now have no way to prevent this. Your Digimon will be allowed to return once we do, but until that time we have to send them away."

Ryo stepped forward. "I don't know you like the others, but I know what you're doing is wrong. These Digimon saved our lives countless times. Hell, they saved the whole world. How can you just throw them out like that?"

Yamaki stopped playing with his lighter. "We don't want to. In fact we have officials here now waiting to award you and your Digimon the red Medal of Honor. It's the highest medal we can award them. They'll be heroes of the entire nation. They'll be celebrated as heroes of the world. The event will be broadcast. Then your Digimon will return home as the heroes they deserve to be treated as."

The room was silent. The Medal of Honor was a great distinction, but it just seemed hollow under the circumstances.

Henry finally spoke up, "We want to see our Digimon again."

Yamaki nodded, "Of course."

* * *

><p>Adman watched as Digimon and Tamers were respectfully marched out. The restraints were removed, but Beelzemon still had to be carried out. They were ushered into the main room with some dignity. Only the armed guards off camera indicated that they were actually prisoners. Yamaki was last to enter the room. Adman pointed his gun at the man. It would be so easy.<p>

* * *

><p>The Prime Minister of Japan was there to hand out awards. Yamaki himself made the announcement that a very special awarding of the Medal of Honor was taking place on that day. They introduced Digimon and partners. Rika had a tear in her eye. Renamon had said she wanted to go. No. Her exact words were she <strong>needed <strong>to go. That Rika wasn't safe with her at that point. Guilmon had said something similar, but in his own way, using his limited vocabulary. That didn't stop the Tamers from crying or holding onto their Digimon dearly as medals were placed around their necks. Finally the gate to the Digital world was opened and the Digimon stepped forward. One by one they said goodbye to the Tamers they loved so much.

Rika walked up to Renamon. "I'm still not saying goodbye. I'll see you again. This is just good luck."

She hugged Renamon tightly. Although the fox's heart was breaking on the inside her exterior showed no signs.

Renamon simply nodded and replied, "Yes Rika. Please be safe."

Then she was gone. Henry had to hold Suzie back while Lopmon and Terriermon waved goodbye. Terriermon even chimmed in, "Suzie, you'll have to find someone else to play princess pretty pants with. Hope you find them. We'll play later." As he was leaving he mumbled, "I can't believe I just agreed to that."

Ryo didn't have to say a word. He and his Digimon exchanged glances. It was enough. Then Guardromon and MarineAngemon departed; both waving goodbye to their Tamers. Kazu and Kenta had lost all control and were crying their eyes out on camera.

Beelzemon crouched down and hugged his Tamers tight. "Now you kids be good and treat each other right. Stay with these kids. They'll lead you the right way. I'll miss you."

Ai and Mako piped up in unison, "We love you, Impmon!"

At this point he didn't even care that they called him that. He simply squeezed them tighter. "I love you'se guys too." He hugged them tight, let go, and walked towards the portal. With that he was gone.

Last up was Takato. Yamaki had given the boy his goggles just for the occasion.

Takato patted his Digimon on the head. "I kept my promise last time and I intend to again. We'll play again really soon, boy."

Guilmon wrapped a claw around his Tamer lovingly. "That's a good promise, Takato. Remember to take care of everyone. I know you can do it. Goodbye."

Takato hugged his Digimon tighter. "Goodbye, Guilmon."

Calumon went through the portal with Guilmon calling back, "Goodbye Jeri. Please be happy. I'll see you later."

After that they were gone. Again. Takato looked at the swirling gate and then to his Medal of Honor wrapped around his neck. His Digivice was sitting on a tray not far.

He called out to Yamaki, "Are we still on television?"

They weren't actually live, but Yamaki wanted them to believe they were. He silently nodded.

The cameraman came up to the boy. "Is there anything you want to say to the world?"

Takato took his Digivice up from the table. He looked at it for a good long time.

Then he smiled. "I do have a message for Yamaki and for Prime Minister Kanoto."

Takato looked at the prime minister first. "First let me thank you on behalf of my friends and our group for awarding our Digimon and us this immense honor. Thank you for recognizing the great struggles our Digimon went through to get us all where we are today. I know personally that I wouldn't be who I am today without Guilmon. He made me better. Just like I made him better. I think that's what Digimon are for. To make decent people out of incomplete ones. That's why as a Tamer this Digivice will always mean more to me than any award this nation could offer me."

Takato held up his medal. "That's why I don't need this."

With that Takato casually tossed the Japanese Medal of Honor down into the digital portal.

Henry walked onto camera. "Takato's right. These awards are great, but I would trade all the medals in the world just to have another day with my friend Terriermon."

Henry followed suit, taking his Digivice over the medal. Yamaki had the television company stop recording, but every last Tamer followed Takato in throwing their medal into the portal.

The portal shut down just as the last medal went through.

Takato stared defiantly at Yamaki. "Nothing you do will ever take back the fact that you robbed us of the best friends we could ever have. In a way I should thank you. Rika was right. I was a fool to trust you, but I'm glad you proved that. It's a mistake I won't repeat. We're leaving and one day when we get our Digimon back you'll understand that you just banished the best thing this planet has ever been given."

Takato was halfway to the door when Yamaki's men surrounded the group.

Yamaki stepped forward. "I'm sorry Takato, but the Digivices were just for show. The Japanese government has decided that they are too dangerous for you kids to have. Until we can determine how your Digimon got back here we have to assume those devices aided. They are property of Hypnos now."

The SWAT men stepped forward and took the devices back. Jeri didn't have hers and she wept over its absence. She pulled on a guards sleeve as she pleaded for its return. Finally a guard shoved her back and she fell hard.

Rika stood up for her friend. "You son of a bitch! Don't you ever touch her again!"

A guard backhanded her. Yamaki grabbed the man's arm roughly. "That's enough!"

Ryo stood between Rika and the man who hit her. "You monsters!"

The Tamers stood together; protecting each other in solidarity. The real monster in the room had also seen the afronts to the Tamers.

* * *

><p>A gunshot rang out and the offending guard dropped like a rock. Adman had watched the entire affair play out. When he saw one of the men strike his friend down that was all he could take. With fearful precision he took out the offending guard. Adman's element of surprise was wasted and he was instantly fired upon. These were live bullets; not darts. In an effort to escape he leapt to a light. One end was shot and it came crashing down with him on it. He rolled along the ground and lost his gun. The light had landed somewhat on his leg and it hurt like hell. When he looked up there were soldiers everywhere. Yamaki stepped forward and demanded, "Who are you!"<p>

Adman grinned sheepishly, "Would you believe the ghost of Christmas future?"

Yamaki went to pull off Adman's mask, but Adman moved his right arm in a quick motion which shot a device to his right hand. He held it up so everyone could see it. "Stay back!"

Yamaki asked, "What is it?"

Adman shook the little device and bluffed, "A detonator. I've rigged the ceiling with explosives. Tell your men to stand down or I take you all with me."

His voice was full of all the hatred he had bottled up inside for this man who seemed to cause his friends nothing but trouble. Yamaki had his men lower their weapons.

Adman grinned, happy to be in control after his horrible entry. "Now have them set the Digivices on the ground. Kick them over to the children."

The SWAT guys did so.

Jeri quietly pulled on Adman's sleeve. "Mine. Where's mine?"

Adman growled at Yamaki, "Where's Jeri's Digivice?"

Yamaki told him, "We thought it was malfunctioning so it isn't here."

Adman was losing patience with the man. "Kazu, kick me my gun."

Kazu looked at it as if not sure what to do. He slowly slid it to Adman, but stated to Yamaki, "I'm not with him. I just don't want him to blow up the building."

Adman aimed his gun at Yamaki. "Tell me where it is! You think I'm playing! I will fucking murder you!"

One of the SWAT guys yelled, "Boss, get out of the way!"

Yamaki dropped down. Adman had a moral decision to make. In his left hand was a rifle, able to kill the men bearing down on him. In his right was his sonic stunning device which would buy them time, but leave the men in the room alive. A voice in his head told him what to do and he pressed down on the sonic device and watched the men drop. Kazu dropped too. Apparently Kazu hadn't put in his earbuds. Takato and Kenta picked him up as they all scrambled off. Adman had to limp as his right leg had been hurt in the fall. The sonic device lasted a good five minutes.

After they were gone Yamaki slowly recovered. He flicked open his lighter and lit himself a cigarette. He puffed a long puff and said, "Bah humbug." He'd just been outdone by the ghost of Christmas future.

* * *

><p>Adman limped along while the others ran; Adman covering their exit and Ryo took the lead. Kazu was slowing them down.<p>

Adman finally grabbed him and pinned him against a wall. He didn't sound angry, but his voice was harsh. "Listen to me, Kazu. We're in deep shit here. I am not dying here for you so move your ass."

Kazu groaned, "I thought you were going to tell us when to put the earplugs in."

Adman moved him forward. Takato gave Adman a look of anger for harassing his friend.

When they all got outside Adman phoned Franklin as quickly as he could. "Franklin, I need an exit. Get me a big car and get us out of here."

The dark warrior scanned the windows above; looking for soldiers attempting to fire upon them. Franklin pulled up in the same giant semi-truck he had been driving. Everyone got in the back. Adman was last. Nobody was tracking them.

They took off and Adman exhaled a sigh of relief. "That was fucking intense! We're safe for the moment though."

He pulled down his sock and checked his leg. His right ankle was already swollen and purple. It was a major sprain. He grabbed his medical kit from his pack and pulled out a small bottle. A needle went into bottle and then came out full. Adman tapped it as the liquid squirted out at the top before putting it into his leg and injecting himself. He twitched in good feeling. "Sweet, sweet morphine. How I've missed you."

Suzie looked at his kit. "What's the yellow one? Why does it glow?"

Adman explained, "That one is electrified and it hurts when I use it, but it is useful to me."

Suzie asked innocently, "Would it help me with my boo boo's?"

Adman replied honestly, "No. It'd kill you, but it's just right for me."

Adman clicked his safety back on and took the magazine out of his gun, pulling the charging handle at the side of the rifle to expend the last round. They were safe for the moment. Adman looked at all the sad faces. There was some pride in what the Tamers had done. They had formally spat in the face of Yamaki, Hypnos, and the entire Japanese government on television. They didn't know it wasn't live though.

Adman took his ski mask off and patted Takato on the shoulder. "I knew you had some balls."

Takato smiled weakly. "We'll see them again, right?"

Adman chuckled back. "You're balls! I'd rather not. Oh, you mean the Digimon. I guarantee it."

Rika was lying near the head of the truck. The spot on her cheek was already bruised where the guard had hit her.

Adman came up to her. "That's some shiner you're gonna have."

Rika sat up as best she could. "I thought you said you had me covered?"

Adman motioned to his rifle. "The guy who hit you is dead. I think you got the better part of the deal."

Rika hesitantly asked, "Did you really have to kill him?" She had trouble asking the question.

Adman had no trouble replying, "Only one kill in a situation like that is actually really showing restraint for me."

Rika had him sit next to her. "Doesn't that bother you?"

Adman set his gun down and picked up Rika's sword, which had been lying around in the back of the large truck. "Why did you have this?"

Rika hated that he wouldn't answer her questions. "They were after Renamon. I brought it out to defend her. To help her."

Adman twirled in expertly. "You brought it out to kill somebody if they tried to hurt your friend. I do the same thing. The only difference is I actually have the blood on my hands to back up my convictions. Don't worry. It's good you aren't like me. Only a really cold mother fucker can do what I do."

Adman noticed Henry's young sister in the back with them and then Ai and Mako. He bit his tongue. "Pardon my French."

Ryo didn't like to make a scene. More often than not he was willing to go with the flow, but he felt he had to say something. "Listen, I don't know if we're all just ignoring this on purpose, but you did kill somebody. How can we just let that slide?"

Adman responded comically, "Don't get on me when I do what I do and I won't get on you when you do what you do."

Henry objected loudly. "This is what you do? You kill things?"

Adman chuckled. "Oh come on! I walk around with weapons all the time. What did you think I did with them? I don't walk around armed just to look like tough. Besides I did it for a good cause. They were hurting the girls. I can't just let that stand."

Adman bent down and spoke to Mako directly, "You're getting this, right son? If a woman's in trouble you have to help them no matter what. It's just the right thing to do."

Takato moved Mako away quickly. "Don't do that! Don't start suggesting that what you do is anything moral and don't fill their heads with this. You kill people for the sick pleasure of it. You can't control your temper and you gun things down because you can. There's nothing noble about that."

Adman retorted, "You kill things too, Matsuki. How many Digimon have you had Guilmon kill? Call it self-defense or sport, the dead don't really see a difference."

Takato hesitated, "That's… different."

Adman kept up the pressure. "How so? I kill because things are in my way. How many corpses have you stepped over to ensure the safety of your friends? What I do is no different. I just kill humans too. Frankly it would be discriminatory not to."

Henry held his sister closer. "You're sick!"

Adman focused on him. "But I'm not wrong. You all cling desperately to this childlike notion of innocence. Let it go. The world has no place for the modest and delusional."

Rika killed his argument with one true statement. "We are children."

Adman seemed to stop at this. He had more he could say though. It wasn't what was said that stopped him, but who had said it. He'd killed for Rika, risked his life for her, and tried very hard to make her happy. She was supposed to be on his side. Her rebuttal felt too much like a betrayal to him.

Adman nodded to her. "You're right. You are children. I'd forgotten I guess. Just… don't judge me, ok. I lost my temper, but I did much less than I could have. Forgive me for not controlling myself."

Rika stood up in the moving truck. "So where are we going now?"

Adman sensed an opportunity and went for it. "Anywhere you want. I can take you to your homes or we can go to the airport and head to America."

Henry shouted, "Are you suggesting we go on vacation in a time like this? You just killed someone! Don't you think there'll be no repercussions for that?"

Adman answered him smugly, "You'd be surprised actually. And as for vacation only if you want to see what Terriermon is up to."

Takato objected first, "No! No more help from you! Nothing good has happened since you've been around! I want to see Guilmon again too, but you're going to get us in jail!"

Adman quoted the poet Frost, " 'Two roads diverged in a wood, and I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference'. This is a fork in the road, Takato. Here you have to choose which path you're willing to follow. The facts are that Hypnos will never let you see your Digimon ever again, despite what they say. Your only hope lies with me. We were never meant for normal life. We were made to be exceptional, to go beyond the rules they deem for mere mortals. We are a cut above, and don't deserve to follow their path. It's your choice though. Stay here and wonder or follow me and take the path less traveled. Mine might be a dirtier road, but it's the only one that allows you to see Guilmon again." It was all he had left to say.

* * *

><p>Adman dropped the group off at a local park. He told them all, "If you're in on going to the Digital world meet me at Rika's at eleven tonight. If not I'll see you later."<p>

Takato was still somewhat combative. "So why aren't we all just leaving now?"

Adman picked up his assault rifle and packed it into his duffle bag. "I've got loose strings that need to be taken care of. Jeri needs her Digivice too. I need to get it back."

With that Adman was off, hobbling down the street with a considerable limp. When he was out of earshot he asked his shadow, "So why didn't you cover me back there? I was getting shot at?"

Shadowmon replied, "I couldn't engage without giving away my existence. If I'd showed up we'd have had to kill them all."

Adman nodded. "I need you on this, buddy. You need to have my back now. We're beating down Yamaki's door and I've got a bum leg."

Shadowmon objected, "That'll cause problems."

Adman limped along. "I need Jeri's Digivice. We're going. Yamaki better be ready."


	18. Chapter Eighteen: The Deal

_Disclaimer: This work is for purely entertainment purposes and is not for profit. I do not own Digimon or any characters previously seen in Digimon. If anyone who does own Digimon sees this I am more than willing to help with the next season. Enjoy._

**Chapter Eighteen: The Deal**

Matsuo Yamaki had endured a rough day. The Tamers, in one single motion, had made a fool of him in front of the Japanese Prime Minister. If that were where the day ended he'd be happy at this point though. Instead Hypnos had not only been embarrassed, but infiltrated and attacked! The cameras had been taken down, one man had been killed and three others had been knocked unconscious. One of those three had been Riley, his office squeeze. The day in full seemed like a personal attack on him, Yamaki thought. In true Yamaki fashion he had made sure Riley made it to the hospital and then retreated to his living quarters, a penthouse near Hypnos, to assess the situation further. The security cameras had indeed been knocked out, but the television cameras weren't and that was a blessing. From them he had evidence of the man who had assaulted them. The man in question was about five-two and thin. Yamaki thought that the accent was American. Who sent this man into his den? Special forces? The man had the training for it. Yamaki shrugged. That wasn't true. To a certain point the guy was skilled, but when he actually went to engage he was idiotic. Only a bluff had saved the invader. No bomb had been found.

Yamaki poured himself a drink. Scotch settled his nerves. He had a decanter and a few cups sitting on his coffee table. With his laptop he went from file to file looking for answers. So far there were about three that he could draw from. The first was the footage from earlier in the day with the gun wielding man. Next was a piece of security footage from a shop that captured, for but a split second, a man in black driving around on a large motorcycle. Somehow Yamaki felt that the man on the bike was the same as the man iwho'd attacked him. That meant the invader had been around for some time, waiting and observing them. That made sense from an infiltration standpoint. He hadn't known what to do with that footage, but now it was fitting into place. Next he had an incident at the local tarmac of a jet exploding. The jet wasn't supposed to be there. There was no information as to who it belonged to or why it had arrived only to be detonated. True Yamaki had no evidence as to why it was connected, but he felt that it was.

One final piece of evidence was now being looked through with a fine-toothed comb. The collective footage of the Parasimon incident was lengthy, but if it had anything to do with the incident then Yamaki should know. Others had looked through it already, but he wanted to check himself. There was a fear that perhaps this strange man was responsible for all of this. Whatever organization he worked for could be attacking the Japanese government directly using Digimon. This thought was horrible to him. It would imply that the Digimon partners, who he had just banished, were not in fact responsible for all that had occurred. Furthermore he would have just banished the last best hope the world had for repelling this new enemy. No. He couldn't think like that.

A Parasimon died from a gunshot to the eyeball and Yamaki paused the footage. He rewound it and looked for clues. Then he saw it. The man in black was there. His reflection was caught on the window of a car. He had fired a shot and killed a Parasimon. That somewhat calmed Yamaki. If the man were responsible for the Parasimon incident then he probably wouldn't be fighting them. Yet there was this man in black fighting alongside the Tamers and their Digimon. There had to be some connection. Why was this man defending the Tamers? He only struck when the Tamers were in danger. Were the two parties related? Yamaki shook his head. Takato would never support a killer. Matsuo Yamaki had a deep respect for the Digimon Tamers. In spite of everything he understood them and appreciated them. That was why he was dedicating his time to hunting down the difficult target in black rather than the easily locatable Tamers.

* * *

><p>The thing about hunting though is occasionally the hunter becomes the hunted. While Yamaki was looking through his evidence Adman Hows rose from a shadow in the back of the room. Adman was now in his black jacket again. He had on his sunglasses instead of his mask.<p>

He whispered to Shadowmon, his command masked by the constant tapping of Yamaki at his keyboard, "Shadowmon, sweep for cameras."

Adman looked at the back of Yamaki's head with some dark joy. Although Adman was unarmed he could kill Yamaki so easily from that position. He could simply twist Yamaki's neck or take off his glove and slit Yamaki's throat with one of his blackened claws. Maybe he'd slam Yamaki's head into the table, shattering the glass in the process. He could use the glass shards to slowly jab at Yamaki until the truth came out. The wicked thoughts delighted Adman Hows. Shadow government agencies were something Adman hated with a deep passion. One had helped to make him what he was and had stolen a good chunk of his young life. So when Adman saw Yamaki harassing the Tamers he took it personally.

Yamaki suddenly got the feeling he wasn't alone. After the events of the day men had been stationed nearby should he need them. Yamaki pressed a small silent alarm under the table and waited for help to arrive.

As Adman stepped into view Shadowmon stealthy joined to Adman's jacket and told him, "No cameras. He tripped the silent alarm a second ago. We'll be expecting company."

Adman didn't harm Yamaki. He stood so that there was a coffee table between himself and the man. Yamaki realized, being so close now to the character and no longer having to see through a mask, that this was not a man, but a boy. How on Earth did a child become like this? Soon the boy would be killed by his men, and a part of Yamaki felt bad about that. In spite of everything Adman had done, attacking Hypnos, killing somebody, knocking out Riley, Yamaki didn't relish the thought of murder. He decided to give the boy a final gesture of kindness. He poured Adman a cup of scotch and pushed it towards the boy, "Drink up."

Adman tipped the cup over. Yamaki picked up his laptop and set it aside to keep it safe. Adman said simply, "You know what I've come for. Jeri Katou's Digivice. Give it to me."

Yamaki asked Adman, "What will you do with it?"

Adman replied honestly, "I'll give it back to her. It doesn't belong to you. Give it back or I'll kill you and find it myself."

Yamaki laughed slightly. "Are you honestly going to try and take a moral high ground with me on this? You've killed someone today. Compared to that me keeping something that isn't mine doesn't seem so bad."

Adman threw the coffee table aside in one quick movement. "Don't be a fool!"

At that moment Hypnos security burst into the room, guns raised, and surrounded Adman.

Adman had his back to the door so he couldn't count how many there were. He asked Yamaki, "How many goons do you think it takes to bring me down?"

Yamaki replied, "Five, but it'll only take one bullet. I suggest you surrender. This fight isn't worth your life."

Adman folded his arms across his chest. "Their blood is on your hands."

Five metal spikes shot from Adman's shoulders and pierced the chests of Yamaki's men before any of them could fire a shot. The coils retracted so quickly that Yamaki couldn't tell what had happened. _Who was this guy? How did he do that?_ Adman bent down and picked up one of the guns the guards dropped. It was an automatic and one he was familiar with. He ejected the magazine and took note of the live rounds. Adman grinned. "Darts too soft for a guy like me?"

The dark Tamer reloaded the weapon and pointed his new rifle at Yamaki. "You know what I want. I've killed six men already today. Do you really want to become number seven?"

Yamaki calmly pointed to a picture on his wall. "I have a safe behind the portrait."

Adman moved the portrait away and put his ear to the safe. "So clichéd."

Yamaki had to ask. "Who are you?"

Adman replied. "I told you, I'm just a ghost. After tonight you probably won't see me or the Tamers. You've lost this fight. Forget about us."

Yamaki didn't like the sounds of that. This kid had plans with the Tamers. He couldn't let that happen. He tried to buy himself time. "The combination is…"

Adman opened up the safe. "Already got it. This is what I do, Mr. Yamaki."

The dark Tamer scolded Yamaki as he pulled out Jeri's Digivice, "You have no idea how much you've traumatized that poor girl by taking this. What use could this possibly have to y…?"

Yamaki lit up a cigarette and set his lighter down. He asked Adman, "The question is why do you want it?"

Adman looked disappointed. "I was hoping you'd pick up a gun while my back was turned. It'd give me an excuse to dust you. Why do I want Miss Katou's Digivice? I don't personally. It doesn't serve me any good, but it doesn't belong to you. She needs it more than you do, so I'm taking it to give it to her."

Yamaki smirked. "So what do you want with the Tamers?"

Adman set the rifle he'd taken on a counter away from Yamaki. "That doesn't matter. They won't be a threat to national security if that's what you're worried about."

Yamaki said quickly, bitingly, "That'd be you."

Adman took a measure of pride from the words of the director of Hypnos. "You have no idea. I'm just trying to get the girl calm. It's been fun. I should be leaving though."

He stepped over the bodies on Yamaki's floor and tisk-tisked. "That is going to stain the rug. Too bad."

As a gloved hand got to Yamaki's door Yamaki spoke up calmly, "I have a deal for you."

Adman couldn't resist responding. He spun around and dangled Jeri's Digivice in front of Yamaki. "You no longer have anything worth bargaining for. What deal could you possibly make for me?"

Yamaki sat on his couch and sipped at his drink as he replied, "I don't think you quite grasp what you've done. You've killed six men today. And now that I think about it I'd be willing to guess that the deaths of my men the previous night were probably a result of you as well. In the helicopter and the vans."

Adman didn't respond. He wasn't going to give up any information to Yamaki.

Yamaki didn't need a response. He continued, "Aren't you worried about repercussions?"

Adman shrugged. "You can't catch me. You can't detain me…." He nudged a dead guard with his foot. "And clearly you can't stop. You can't kill me. You aren't a threat to me. I don't need to fear retaliation from the incompetent."

With that Adman turned around to leave again. Yamaki stopped him cold with one simple phrase, "What about the Tamers?"

Adman spun around on Yamaki and moved closer with anger in his eyes. "I wouldn't suggest threatening them if I were you. They're the best chance this world has, has always had, for survival. You threaten them; you threaten the world; you threaten me, and I don't like to be threatened. I won't let anything happen to them."

Yamaki sipped at his drink, content with the answer he was given. "I'm not threatening them. You are. You've murdered six people right in front of government officials. There are parties that would see all the Tamers prosecuted as accessories to murder."

Adman limped forward and picked Yamaki up by the collar. Yamaki showed no fear. Adman growled, "What's to stop me from just killing all of them? I think I'll start with you."

Yamaki told Adman point blank, "I'm the only one standing between the Tamers and the repercussions from your actions. The Japanese government already mistrusts the Tamers, but I've always been able to convince them that they aren't a threat. You're involvement is making it harder for me to convince them."

Adman considered things and then threw Yamaki roughly onto the couch in concession.

Yamaki continued, "I can make it all go away. I can convince them that it was all your doing and that the Tamers weren't involved, but I won't unless you agree to something."

Adman looked away as he asked, "What do you want?"

Yamaki told him Adman's part of the deal, "You have to agree to leave the Tamers alone forever. Stay out of their lives. Stay out of Japan entirely. If we see you here again we move forward with destroying the lives of the Tamers. We've both done more than enough to ruin their childhoods. Why not let them have what's left of it in peace?"

Adman seethed in anger. He was powerless against this feeble suit of a man. He let loose a sting of profanity as he gave into his rage. "Fuck! Fuuuck! Mother fuckin' cocksuck! Goddamnit!" With each curse Adman trashed a piece of Yamaki's dwelling. He shattered glass cabinets and wooden chairs.

Yamaki simply watched until the boy finished his tantrum. "I didn't need a gun to beat you. You did all the work yourself."

Adman limped towards Yamaki and came face to face with the man, shouting to Yamaki at a close enough range that Yamaki could smell Adman's breathe. "Alright then, asshole. I propose a counter offer. Something more sportsmanlike. I'll leave the Tamers alone, for a time. I'll stay out of Japan until they're adults. Then they can make their own decisions. You have a part in this too though. You have to stay out of their lives too. Hypnos stays far away from the Digimon Tamers. No influence in their lives, no tapping their phones, no monitoring them, no nothing! We both have no influence over their futures from this point until they're grown. If you claim to want to give them peace then you need to accept that you're a negative influence on them too. We both remain neutral for the sake of them."

Yamaki considered it.

Adman threatened, "Or I can go with my first impulse to gut you and see what happens."

Yamaki wasn't swayed much by that. He nodded. "Fair enough. If you break your part of the agreement…."

Adman finished for him, "You'll know. And you'll ruin their lives. I understand. If you break your part of the deal I'll know. I will personally end your life if you do."

Yamaki nodded. Adman walked towards the door.

Yamaki made one final jab at the boy. "So are you going to reimburse me for the damage?"

Adman flipped Yamaki the bird without turning back to him and exited the room. Yamaki smiled. A part of him almost liked the strange style of the boy. If only he weren't so ill tempered he could be useful. He picked up his phone and began making calls. As he did he patted himself for his lighter, but couldn't find it.

* * *

><p>Rika waited outside her house with a duffle bag full of stuff for her trip. A part of her knew it was crazy going, but seeing some of the others there encouraged her. Kazu and Kenta were the first to arrive. She hated listening to Kenta's horrible knock-knock jokes, but Adman was running late and there was little to do. Ryo hadn't even bothered to pack. He'd just stayed with Rika. The Digital world was nothing new to him and he didn't feel a need to pack much for it. Rika looked around and her gaze stopped on the form of Jeri sitting on the curb. Jeri looked so sad. Rika sat next to the girl and asked, "Are you ok, Jeri?"<p>

Jeri shook her head. When she spoke a part of her sounded almost dead inside, "I shouldn't have let him go."

Rika asked, "Who?"

"Adman. He's going to face Yamaki. Maybe he'll kill him."

Rika tried reassuring Jeri, "I don't think he'll do that."

Rika had no doubt Adman would kill Yamaki, and anyone else that stood in his path, if the occasion called for it, but she couldn't tell Jeri that.

Jeri continued, "And what if Adman loses? What if Yamaki's guards kill him? All because of me. Because I couldn't let go of a… a stupid piece of plastic. It'll be all my fault. I don't think I can bear that responsibility."

Rika was going to say something, but then someone else did, "It won't be your fault." It was Henry.

Henry sat on the other side of Jeri. He tried explaining to her that, "Nothing Adman or Yamaki do will be your fault. It could easily have been my Digivice that Yamaki kept. Even then I wouldn't blame myself for what happens. We all make choices, Jeri, but you can't blame yourself for the choices of others. All we can do is react to them."

Rika told Henry, "I didn't think you were going to show."

Henry shrugged. "I had to make sure the kids stayed home first."

Jeri pointed into the night. "I don't think it worked."

Suzie, Ai and Mako ran towards the group with glee. Henry groaned. "Oh come on! Suzie, I told you you couldn't come. If it's safe we'll come back for you."

Suzie objected, "uh uh. I want to come too. You can't stop me, Henry."

"A spirited one isn't she?" Everyone turned to see Adman Hows step out from the darkness and limp towards the group. The morphine was wearing off, but he was ignoring the pain for the moment. He looked upset, but he smiled and gave Jeri her Digivice.

Jeri beamed with joy the second she held her Digivice. She stood and hugged Adman tight. "Oh thank you so much!"

Her joy turned to concern when she thought of the consequences. "Did you…? Does this mean Yamaki is dead?"

Adman shook his head. "He's quite alive; I assure you. I wish he weren't, but what're ya gonna do?"

Rika looked at the group with some optimism. "Now we just need Takato."

Adman sat down on the curb. "I wouldn't bet on him coming. Besides, it won't matter anyway."

Rika began to ask, "But why…?"

She was interrupted by Takato Matsuki responding to Adman, "Don't be so sure of that!" He ran into view with a pack full of bread.

Adman grinned at the presence of Takato Matsuki. "Didn't think you'd show."

Takato kicked the ground lightly. "Well I didn't want to, but I figured everyone else would be here and… Well I figured you guys might need my help."

Adman chuckled sarcastically. "Darn good of you to make that personal sacrifice."

Rika stopped him; concern in her voice. "You said 'It wouldn't matter anyway'. What's going on?"

A semi-truck pulled up in front of the Nonaka residence. Franklin was driving it. Adman looked away from the Tamers. "I'm getting on that truck to head to the airport. From there I'm heading home. The rest of you won't be going."

The Tamers voiced their displeasure in various degrees. Rika was the loudest and most betrayed. "But you promised..!"

Adman told her quickly, "I never said when you'd see them again. You will see them, but it'll be some time yet."

Rika shouted at him, "You lied to us! To me! I let Renamon go through because you promised you'd take me to her!"

Adman snarled, "Hey I tried!"

Takato didn't like Adman yelling at his friend, but he figured Rika would be the more reasonable one to talk to. He was wrong. He tried cutting in, "Rika, calm down and let him explain…"

Rika snapped at him, "Stay out of this, Gogglehead." She turned her wrath back on Adman. "Try harder. You can do this."

Adman took a deep breathe to collect himself. "I can, but I won't."

Rika was nearing her limit. Anger was bubbling up. Everything was falling apart. "Why..?"

Ai slowly moved closer to Adman and asked him in the gentlest of voices, "Yeah, why?"

Adman told them all, "I made a deal with Yamaki. The Japanese government wanted to press charges against the Tamers; to get at you because they couldn't get me. They wanted to say you're accomplices to my murders."

Kazu panicked, "Oh man! I knew something like this would happen. I'm too young for jail!"

Takato accused Adman, "I knew you'd get us into something like this…"

Adman stood to his full height. He snapped at Takato, "Would you shut up and let me talk! You've won and you don't even know it! Be graceful about it."

Takato remained silent.

Adman continued, "I made a deal with Yamaki to keep you all safe. In return I can't influence your lives any more than I already have. I have to stay out of your lives, and so will he. So you won, Takato. I'm out. You get what you've always wanted."

Kenta spoke up gently, almost cautiously, "That's good of you. Thanks for covering us."

Ryo replied casually, "You were the one who got us into this mess, but still…"

Rika wasn't giving in so easily, "But…"

Adman looked to the girl with a sad smile. "I know. I wanted to take you guys with me. It isn't just you guys though. I won't let the world's most famous Tamers get into trouble. Imagine what it would do to our reputation."

Kazu complained loudly, "But that means I won't see Guardromon again! How can we let Yamaki get away with this?"

Adman pulled out a lighter from his pocket and flicked it open. "If it's any consolation I think taking this should mess with him a little. I'll see you guys again. I just have to wait until you're older. Until then I'll do what I can to protect the Digital world."

Jeri said quietly, "Alone?"

Adman frowned. He went to put on his glasses, but resisted the impulse. He flashed her a fake smile. "What else is new? I've been handling it up till this point. I can do it a few more years, right?"

Rika pulled on Adman's leather sleeve until he faced her. She asked him, "Can we talk in private?"

Ryo's left eyebrow rose slightly. "Everything alright?"

Rika nodded. "We just need to talk. Come on, Adman."

The dark Tamer followed until they were on the other side of the large semi.

Rika whispered so as not to alert the others. "I can't just accept this."

Adman chuckled. "Not your choice."

Rika snapped at him, "Like hell it's not!" She controlled the tone of her voice. "Like hell it's not. Yamaki has ruined everything for me once already. I won't let him take everything from me again. I won't let him control my life."

Adman suggested sarcastically, "Am I really that much better?"

Rika glared at him. She thought hard and admitted, "No. In a way you're worse. At least he has an excuse."

Adman folded his arms indignantly. "What's that crack mean?"

Rika told Adman point blank, "Yamaki has to report to people. You're just… different."

"What would you have me do?"

"Put it to a vote. Have the others decide what we really want to do. This is too big of a decision for you to handle alone. It involves all of us so let us have a say."

Adman rejected the idea quickly. "No."

"Why?"

Adman leaned against the semi. Its thin metal side flexed from his weight. Rika suspected he was doing so to take some of the weight off his leg, but he suddenly looked very tired. Adman closed his eyes for some time before looking to her. "Miss Nonaka, you don't know me very well. I'm not a good man. I have no problem playing the villain if I need to, and this is one of those times. I'll still let you see your father, I can do that for you, but I can't let you all come with me. I made a deal and I will adhere to it."

Rika knew she wasn't going to win. The realization weighed heavily on her. In her anger she let slip, "Like you care."

The dark Tamer visibly winced at the comment. He took a deep breath and tried to explain. "I have my reasoning for all this. When I was young I was presented with a moral decision. I had the choice of putting someone I cared for in incredible danger or being absent from her life forever. She's dead now; I made the wrong call. I wish I could undo hundreds of my mistakes, but I can't. I won't repeat them though. You ever read Einstein?"

Rika shook her head no.

"Well he has this one romantic line. People never imagine Einstein being romantic, but I believe it. He says 'love is being able to let go'. I didn't understand that at the time; I couldn't do it. It took me some time before I could make sense of that, but the basis is this: if you really care for someone you need to be willing to do whatever you genuinely believe is best for that person even if that means you're no longer a part of their life. At least that's how I've interpreted it. The Tamers have greatness in them, I'd love to take you in and train you all, but I'm not what is best for the Tamers at the moment. I need to walk away and you need to let me."

"You'll be missed." It was the only kindness Rika could afford him at the moment. She was just too mad at him. Too dissapointed.

The duo walked back to the others. Kazu was still clinging to hope when he asked, "So are we going?"

Adman shook his head. "I'm going. You're all going to get on with your lives. When you're needed I'm sure I'll find you."

Takato was dumbfounded. Adman noticed and asked, "What's the matter, Matsuki?"

Takato explained, "I'm wondering how you benefit from all this. What do you get?"

Adman guessed, "The reputation of the Tamers doesn't get trashed this day. That's about it. Other than that I get the short end of the stick. Do I always have to profit?"

Takato scratched his head in thought. "Is this… Your way of doing something nice for us?"

The dark Tamer let his head hang low for a second before looking back up. "I'm just trying to make things right. Can you get off my back about that? I don't want all Digimon Tamers to get a bad rap, ok. Not because of me."

Takato hesitated for a moment before saying. "Uh thanks, I guess."

Adman extended his right arm to Takato for a handshake. "Amigos?

Takato grabbed Adman's hand and shook it once. "Alright. Friends. Don't make us regret this."

Adman joked, "I'm sure I will."

Adman milked the moment by pulling Takato into a forced hug. He told him in a kind voice, "Look after everyone while I'm gone. I know you can do it."

Takato struggled for freedom until Adman released him. The twins cried, but not for Adman's leaving. They wept at the loss of Impmon.

Everyone went in order and said goodbye to Adman Hows. When it came time for the small children Henry looked around in a panic. "Suzie? Where's Suzie?"

Ryo calmed him down, taking control of the situation. "We'll find her, Henry. She probably couldn't handle everything. Kazu, Kenta, help me out here."

Takato volunteered. "I'll look too."

Adman called after them. "Give her my best when you find her. I can't wait for you guys."

He was waving goodbye to the search party when Jeri suddenly surprised Adman with a hug. She held him tight for a moment. Adman melted for a second before snapping back into character. "I'll miss you too, Miss Katou."

She thanked him for the Digivice and then said goodbye.

The place was empty now; people had gone their separate ways. It was now Adman standing by the semi with Rika waiting for him to leave. He rocked once on his toes and then said, "Well, see ya in a few years."

Rika fumed as he turned away. "That's it? Takato gets a hug, Jeri makes you all weak kneed and I get a 'see ya later'?"

Adman admitted with some pride, "She is quickly becoming my new favorite. What a kind young girl."

Rika folded her arms across her chest and turned away, dejected. "I thought I was your favorite."

Adman replied, "You're my messenger. While the messenger is a crucial part of a squad it isn't the most crucial piece. Give me a good rifleman any day. Or a medic…"

Rika exhaled, tired of listening to him. "Fine then. See you later. Go. Just go. Have a… fun life I guess."

She suddenly felt Adman's arms around her. He gave her a quick hug and then walked away. "Goodbye, Miss Nonaka."

Rika lost Renamon. She was losing Adman. She suddenly felt very much alone. The dark Tamer called to her, "Oh one more thing. You can't call me. It would violate the terms of my deal. Just delete my number."

Rika held up her cell and smiled deviously. "Oh I'll call you if I want to."

Adman stopped. He was almost to the cab, but he had to put a stop to this. "You can't do that. It'll threaten everything."

Rika snipped back boldly, "I don't care. You made a deal, but I didn't. I won't let Yamaki rule my life."

Adman stood not a few feet from her, wondering if he could steal her phone. He asked, "Why do you want to call me anyway? I'm no use to you until you're older." He was trying to distract her.

Rika replied matter-of-fact-ly, "Well because you're my friend. Do I need a reason to call up Jeri and see what's up?"

Adman moved swiftly, but Rika dodged. She held her phone high up and shook a finger at him. "No way in hell."

Adman grew angry, impatient, and growled, "Now knock it off! I can't have you calling me! It could…"

Rika said defiantly, "I don't care. You aren't the boss of me."

Adman suddenly got a wicked idea.

Rika noticed the change in the Tamer almost instantly. He wasn't as tense, and he seemed somehow more confident. He smiled at her charmingly. "Let's forget about the phone for a second. Why don't we just…"

His arms rested on her shoulders and it made Rika nervous. She asked, "What the hell are you…?"

Adman suddenly pulled her in and kissed her. It was only for a second before Adman doubled over from a knee to the stomach. He put a hand up to call for time out, but when he stood Rika slapped him hard.

Rika's face was scarlet red and she looked infuriated. She suddenly hated Adman with a passion. "You bastard!"

She went to slap him again, but Adman caught the attack and limped backwards.

The dark Tamer shrugged. "I get it. I'm sorry. I guess it wasn't good for you either."

Rika paused in mid fury to process what he'd said. When she realized it she shouted, "Oh you're an asshole! Get out! Go away from my house! Get the hell out of here! You manipulative dick!"

Adman grinned wickedly. "You honestly didn't think I was going to leave without getting some sugar did you?"

Rika picked up a rock and threw it at the boy. He ducked inside the cab of the semi and the rock bashed the window, cracking it. He shouted to Franklin, "Drive!"

The truck moved away, but Adman noticed somebody else in the cab besides Franklin. Ryo Akiyama was sitting in the middle with his arms behind his head. Ryo asked, "So how'd you make her angry."

Adman grinned as he rubbed the spot where she slapped him. "I snuck a kiss."

Ryo was suddenly alert and surprised. "Really? Oh man I could have told you that was a bad idea. Nobody gets in that girl's bubble unless she wants them there."

Adman asked wittily, "Are you speaking from experience?"

Ryo shook his head. "I wish. No, I'm not as stupid. I don't need to try hugging a lit stick of dynamite to know it's a bad idea."

Adman asked, "You think she'll call?"

Ryo tried letting Adman down gently. "I really doubt it. Plenty of fish in..."

Adman put his feet on the dashboard in contentment. "Then mission accomplished."

Ryo laughed. "That was your plan?"

Adman admitted, "Normally if someone's giving me troubles I just rough them up a bit. I can't do that with her. I needed a way to make her hate me so she wouldn't call. I admit it isn't the best plan, but…"

Ryo warned him, "I wouldn't try roughing her up. She'd win."

Adman laughed loudly. "I bet she would! So Ryo, where can I drop you off?"

Ryo told Adman, "Oh I'm coming with. I want to see what you've got going on. Don't worry. Yamaki doesn't track me like the others."

Adman shook his head. "You still can't come."

There was a knock from the back of the cab and Adman heard Shadowmon call through, "Sir, we have a stowaway."

Adman replied, "I know. You're about three minutes slow."

Shadowmon replied, "No I mean back here."

Adman groaned. "What the hell? I am going to be at this all night. Nobody is coming with!"

* * *

><p>Suzie moved against the far back of the semi as the dark fox appeared before her. She asked fearfully, "Renamon?"<p>

Shadowmon replied, "Not anymore. I haven't been in some time. Why are you here, little one?"

Suzie quivered in the sight of the shadowy fox. "I…I want to see Lopmon again. Please take me! Pleeease!"

Shadowmon approached her and she shook in fear. The dark fox stopped and sat against the edge of the container. "Please don't fear me. I'm not going to hurt you. I'm just… different. Come sit here."

Suzie slowly moved towards the Digimon, unable to disobey him for fear of attack. The dark Digimon told her in the kindest voice he could muster. "Child, I promise you will see your partner again. Do you have your Digivice?"

Suzie held it up. It shook in her tiny hands. One three fingered paw wrapped around her hand to steady it and she stopped in surprised. "You're soft."

Shadowmon ignored her and explained, "This device will keep you permanently connected to your partner. Hold onto it, never let it go, and you'll see your partner again. Have faith, little one. Be strong."

Suzie let a tear leak from her eye. "I don't know how."

Shadowmon was unaccustomed to being comforting, but he tried. "Sure you do. We all need to be strong for each other. You live your life, you do everything you can, but you never forget us. Never forget the Digimon or that feeling you have for Lopmon. We'll all meet again. Don't forget us. Can you do that?"

Suzie nodded. "When will I see her again?"

The truck stopped and Shadowmon replied, "It'll be some time, but you need to go now. You don't forget us and we won't forget you. Deal?"

Suzie nodded excitedly. "Deal!"

Shadowmon shook her tiny hand.

The back opened up and Adman and Ryo stood outside the truck. Adman told her sternly, "Miss Wong, Mister Akiyama is going to be taking you home now. It's time we all parted ways."

Ryo asked, curious of the voices, "Who were you talking to, Suzie?"

Suzie spun around to point to Shadowmon, but the fox was gone. She looked around in surprise, "But he was just here… Maybe he disappeared. But I did see him."

Adman chuckled. "I see things from time to time too kid. Just don't tell a shrink or they'll put you in a straight white vest."

The two older Tamers helped Suzie out and Adman patted her head.

Suzie was still in disbelief, "But I felt his hand. He talked to me. We… made a deal."

Adman told her, "Then you need to honor it. I'm trying to honor mine, but that means you two need to be gone and I need to be out of the country within the next few hours. Vamoose."

Ryo was helping Suzie when all of the sudden Adman got into the cab and the semi took off. He waved back and chuckled as the dark Tamer finally headed away from the other Tamers. Adman put his feet up on the dash as he told Franklin, "The airport, please."

* * *

><p>Shadowmon appeared in-between Franklin and Adman in the cab. He asked Adman, "Did I do well for the girl?"<p>

Adman played with Yamaki's lighter. "Yes. Exceptionally well."

He motioned to the lighter. "It seems a small prize for all our hard work here, but this is what we have to show for our work in this city."

Shadowmon agreed with Adman about the abysmal fortune, "And this was the last group. We've visited every known Tamer group…"

Adman finished the thought with some frustration, "And not one of them wants a thing to do with us."

Shadowmon tried cheering up his Tamer. "Oh I don't know. This group showed promise."

Adman thought about it. He spoke to nothing in general as he reminisced, "They sure did. A powerful group to be sure."

He snapped out of his trance with cheerful optimism, "And hey we did accomplish something. They know about us now. We have allies for any future battles. Rika's got her sword. We put a small amount of fear into the Japanese government too." He said the last part with a chuckle.

Shadowmon looked at the place they'd be leaving for some time in the side mirror of the truck. He tried to come up with something profound to say. "Maybe… Maybe it isn't what you take from a place, but what you leave behind that matters."

* * *

><p><strong>End of arc 1<strong>


	19. Chapter Nineteen: Consequences

_Disclaimer: This work is for purely entertainment purposes and is not for profit. I do not own Digimon or any characters previously seen in Digimon. If anyone who does own Digimon sees this I am more than willing to help with the next season. Enjoy._

**Chapter Nineteen: Consequences. **

Adman was always a busy man. He spent his time either traversing the Digital world, or bringing aid to the third world countries or helping quietly to make his own fortune even greater. There was never a dull day for him, but as time went on he continued to look out on the world with a sad realization that it was changing and not for the better. He watched as nation after nation enacted strict anti-Digimon policies. Digimon in the human world became illegal. Wild digimon found were either deleted outright or sent back to the Digital world. After some time Digimon just stopped appearing altogether. Yamaki's firewall had gone global. Only a few areas in poorer countries did not have an anti-Digimon firewall. The sky of the Digital world was now a translucent red. Despite Adman's efforts Rika had called him a lot over the first few years. He never answered as per his agreement with Yamaki, but he listened to each voicemail she left with a hint of sadness. In her voice was a wanting to forgive him if only he'd abandon the deal with Yamaki. Over time what little joy and trust she had for him seemed to grow to disappointment and then anger. Finally she just stopped calling. Jeri also called once, using Rika's cell. She had pleaded for help. Something tragic had happened and she need him. Still the dark Tamer remained absent to the needs of the Tamers. They were suffering the average atrocities of life, and that was better than anything Yamaki could have done. Adman had no idea how the others were. There was some cheating on the deal when it came to Rika though. It was convenient for him to help her and so he did. In an effort to keep the image of the Tamers alive, or maybe just to express herself, Rika took up painting them. Most of her money came from her paintings that she sold from time to time. Adman knew this because he made it a point to bid on them whenever Rika put them up for auction online. Sometimes he won, sometimes he didn't. The point was to force the buyers to pay a higher price. He could do that at least for his friend. Other than that the friends he had made many years ago, the friends he fought alongside and killed for, were completely foreign to him again. It was time to get back in touch.

* * *

><p>Takato ran down a back alley chasing after two men in black ski masks. One of them almost assuredly had a gun so Takato watched his corners and kept a safe distance. He had called for backup a minute earlier, but the crooks were fast and he was having to chase them down on foot, sprinting through darkened allies, just to avoid losing them. He leapt a fence after the two liquor store robbers and had to jump behind a wall to avoid shots. He exhaled, breathing heavily from the run. '<em>Ok, now I'm positive they're armed. Where is backup? Why does this stuff happen to me?'<em>

Takato was armed, but he had no intentions of shooting either man. He hadn't killed a man yet, and he didn't intend to start. His moral compass was conflicted on the matter though. If he didn't act the men would continue to shoot and a stray bullet could hit some innocent passerby. That was something he didn't want on his conscious either. He pulled out his handgun and took a deep breath; unsure of what he intended to do.

Just then he heard several more shots followed by a scuffle. He quickly peeked around the corner. A man in black was beating the crap out of the other two men. The man in black stood a solid six foot-two. He had weapons on him, but seemed to be just fine using his fists. The man was bearded with wild untrimmed hair. Takato watched as the warrior wrestled the handgun from the main shooter and tossed it away with no effort. Then he threw the man to the ground and kicked him in the ribs.

Adman hadn't gotten into a good fist fight in a few years. Now twenty-four years old he appreciated the conflict as much as when he was younger. The experience drained him, but he felt rejuvenated by simply being able to relive old memories. Luckily he had caught up to his old friend before the two assholes put a bullet in Takato's head. He kicked one again before calling down the alley, "Hey Takato, you gonna take these guys in, or am I going to have to do ALL the work?"

Takato stepped out from the corner; handgun lowered but ready. "I'll take um in. Thanks for the help."

Adman popped his fingers as the young man came closer, "Yeah well, I can't do everything. You're the one with the handcuffs."

Takato handcuffed the two men on the ground, who were both severely bruised and beaten. He took the time to look the stranger over. "Thanks for the help. I hate to bring this up after you helped, but you know I have to mention that sidearm, right? They're illegal for civilians."

Adman looked down at his pistol and shrugged. "Now you wouldn't take an old friend in would you?"

Takato looked confused. "Do I know you?"

Adman dropped his head in mock disappointment. "That's ok. I only saved you and your girlfriend from a giant tyrannosaur, but no it's ok. I understand. Apparently I have to do something REALLY impressive in order for somebody to remember me."

Takato looked the man up one more time before realization set in. "Adman? Holy crap, is that you? I haven't seen you in ages."

Adman gave his old friend a hug. "Nice to see you too, my friend."

Takato struggled to break free, but could. All he could do was say, "Wow you got big."

Adman let go and slumped his broad shoulders. "Yeah, well. We all change, right?"

Suddenly squad cars pulled up near the entrance to the alley. Takato looked to his friend. "I'll have to bring you in if you don't get out of here now."

Adman leaned against the wall casually. "Don't you want to get a statement from me, Officer Matsuki?"

Takato lifted the first perp from the ground. "Suit yourself."

* * *

><p>Adman rode in the back of the squad car with Takato and his partner. Apparently the lack of identification and a bunch of weapons on his person were bad things.<p>

Takato looked in the rear view mirror. "So when'd you get in town?"

Adman tilted his head nonchalantly. "About an hour ago. Just visiting old friends. I gotta tell you this has to show my love for you, man. I wouldn't let any other cop cuff me. When did you sign up?"

Takato chuckled. "About two years ago. After school I decided my job needed to involve helping people. This seemed the best fit."

Adman clicked the cuffs on his hands. "Couldn't live without the hero factor anymore could you?"

"Nah, I guess I couldn't."

"I understand. I'm in the business now too."

"Oh really? You're a cop? I doubt that."

"Not a cop. A hero. Or at least I'm trying to be better. You notice I didn't kill either of those thugs? I'd say that's an improvement."

Takato's partner had been digging through Adman's pack. He came across a file and opened it. He tapper Takato on the shoulder and showed him the pictures inside. Takato took one look and frowned. He called back, "Adman, why do you have a file filled with pictures of dead people?"

If Adman was worried he didn't show it. "I'm sure an office can detect a police report when he sees one."

Takato's partner looked through the file. "Some of these are police reports. Others though…"

Adman cut in, "Those are my own personal reports. I try to be Johnny-on-the-spot and all that. Sometimes I'm the first one there. The file is important, Takato, but I can't discuss it with you until later."

Takato tried to keep Adman out of trouble. "You should tell me now. It could get you in big trouble otherwise. You of all people should want to avoid that."

Adman changed the subject. "So how is everyone?"

Takato went silent for a few. Then the radio caught his attention.

Dispatch called, "Officer Matsuki, we have a situation."

Takato's partner picked up the radio, allowing Takato to drive. "Yeah, what's going on, dispatch?"

"Well you know that girl we're supposed to radio you about if there are any problems? There've been problems again."

Takato's shoulders sagged as his partner got the important information.

"Where is it this time, dispatch?"

"She actually checked herself into Shinjuku General this time."

The partner seemed cautiously optimistic. "Maybe we'll get a statement this time."

Takato mumbled back bitterly, "Doubt it."

Adman was listening intently. "Takato, what's going on?"

Takato sighed. "It's Jeri. She just… she's not ok. She's in a bad relationship, but she won't let us help."

Adman's cuffs grew tight as his arms bulged in anger. "How could this happen? I thought you were going to take care of her?"

Takato was getting into a very bad mood. Adman was shifting the blame onto him, something Takato had done enough already. He tried to explain the situation to Adman. "When her dad died she got the family restaurant. Well she isn't as good at running it as her dad was. We dated for a while, but when money got tight she got involved with this loan shark. She must have thought he would be nicer to her if she was nice to him. That was wrong. Now she has to be hospitalized at least once every few months. She can't do much since she's thousands in debt to the guy."

Adman was getting angry, but something seemed to pop in his mind and he calmed down and smiled. "I'll handle this."

Takato peeked back at his friend in the back. "You may be my friend, but you're still in our custody. You just stay there. I'll handle this."

Adman grumbled mostly to himself, "You haven't handled it so far."

* * *

><p>The car pulled up outside a hospital and Takato told Adman to stay put. It would sound stupid to say that to a handcuffed man in the back of a cop car, but with Adman it was always necessary. It didn't work either. As soon as the two police officers left the car Adman called Shadowmon out from his jacket. "Get these cuffs off me."<p>

Shadowmon appeared and summoned a cord. He blasted the cuffs with his shadow blaster.

Adman looked at the ruined pieces of metal. "Good shot, as always. Now slip out to the outside of this car and open the door."

Shadowmon melted into the dark upholstery of the car. Within seconds the door opened. Adman stepped out and ran into the hospital with Shadowmon re-fused into his black leather jacket. Inside Adman walked up to the reception desk. "Excuse me; I heard Jeri Katou was a patient here. Can I see her? I'm a friend of hers."

The receptionist looked up at the man in black from her magazine. "Sorry, but she isn't seeing visitors right now."

Adman tried keeping in his frustration. He didn't do that well. "You let the cops in!"

She looked at him and smiled forcibly. "You got a badge? No? Then go home and we'll see you tomorrow."

Adman decided to try a new tactic. He set a crisp hundred dollars American down on the counter. He hadn't had time to convert his currency yet, but he figured the large bill would work. "Can I see her now?"

This was his usual problem solving pattern. Start out neutral, move to bribery. When bribery didn't work deception and eventually violence followed. It was a simple pattern, but effective. Luckily this woman didn't need steps three or four. The woman eyed the bill suspiciously before taking it. "Room 317. Third floor. Anyone asks and you slipped past me."

Adman smiled victoriously.

* * *

><p>Takato had become numb to this whole ritual, and he hated himself for getting that way. Jeri would come in looking absolutely horrible. She'd be crying, but still say nothing to the police, even when the officer was him. He knew that the stupid boyfriend of hers was doing this to her, but he couldn't do anything about it. No business was worth this. Takato collected himself. It wasn't purely for her father's business after all. Her family depended on it and even though Jeri owed more in debt now than when she made the loan the bastard never collected so long as he got to have his fun and smack her around every few months. If Takato weren't a police officer he would simply beat the crap out of the damn loan shark and go to prison for assault. Violence wasn't his nature, but when someone hurt his friends he could make an exception. Jeri meant too much to him for this to keep going on, but what could he do? Why hadn't she just stayed with him? He could have protected her. This wouldn't be happening. Takato looked in on his old friend and saw the one red and swollen left eye on the otherwise beautiful young woman. This shouldn't be happening.<p>

Then Adman brushed past Takato, casually walking down the hall. Takato grabbed him by the arm. "How did you get out?"

Adman smiled and showed Takato the two broken sections of cuff. "Ancient Chinese secret. I'm just here to see Jeri. I've been gone far too long to…"

He trailed off as he saw the poor girl in the other room. She was almost entirely purple on the left side of her face. Adman silently walked into the room as Takato's partner was talking to her. She immediately stopped all talking and focused on the giant man in black.

Adman gently asked her, "Jeri, do you remember me?"

She seemed so much less than what she had been. Like life had utterly destroyed this girl's spirit. She somehow smiled that familiar smile that lit up the room and everything changed. "How could I forget you? It's good to see you again, Adman."

The dark warrior sat in a chair by her hospital bed and reached for her hand. "Jeri, who did this to you?"

The smile left her face and she turned away. Adman just stared at her. He put his powerful right hand on hers gently. "I'm going to help you, Jeri. Me and Takato. We won't let you endure this another day. We're going to save you."

Takato called in from outside. "Hey guys, we've a… got a problem."

Adman came out from the room and looked down the hall. A man in a white apron and blue slacks was walking down the hall. He was a fat doughy man, with a crappy mustache and a bald head. Apparently he'd become a cook of some sort at Jeri's resteraunt.

Adman cocked his head to the side. "I'll say. His fashion sense makes him look almost worse off than Jeri."

Takato didn't laugh. "That's him."

The young officer didn't have to elaborate any further.

Adman patted him on the shoulder. "What are you going to do?"

Takato sighed. "I'm going to tell him she doesn't want to see him right now."

"Real heroic," Adman replied sarcastically.

Takato asked with some concern, "What's your idea?"

A sadistic grin crept into Adman's features. "I'll handle it. Just give me space and pray a nurse doesn't walk by."

Takato grabbed his arm. "What do you plan on doing? I can't let you kill him no matter how much I hate him."

Adman put his arms up in a gesture of goodwill. "I won't kill him, but I will make him regret what he's done."

Takato didn't want Adman's involvement. "Let me try first."

The dark Tamer let him go.

Takato intercepted the man before he could get to Jeri. "Sorry Mr. Hashoa, but she's sleeping right now and under the circumstances I think it's best we don't disturb her."

The man had no respect for Takato's authority. "That's bullshit and you know it. If she were asleep you wouldn't be here talking to her. I need my best waitress down at the restaurant in an hour. I need to talk to her."

Adman smirked at the antics of the man. This was a man who had avoided the repercussions of authority for so long that he now flaunted his immunity and defied power whenever possible. He was a bully that felt safe because he had gotten away with his actions for so long. A part of Adman hated the man. Another part hated himself for being too similar.

Takato was about to object when Adman walked up to the pair and pulled Takato aside. "I got this. Just pull your partner into the other room."

Takato could guess what was going to happen, but just didn't care. The fat bastard got whatever was coming to him. He simply walked away so that the halls were empty save for the cook and the man in black.

Adman walked up to the cook as kindly as he could. "Hello sir, my name is Mr. Rectum."

The man laughed. "Rectum? Really? Hahahaha. Your ancestors had a bad sense of humor."

Adman chuckled as he shook the man's hand. "You know the best part about that joke?"

The man still hadn't stopped laughing. Adman silenced him quickly with a fast uppercut to his fat stomach which took all the air out of the windbag.

Adman tossed him to the ground and popped his knuckles. The darkness was beginning to creep back into him. "Rectum, damn near killed um."

The cook tried feebly crawling away.

Adman grabbed his leg and pulled him back. "Where do you think you're going, tubby?"

Adman spun the man around and delivered a powerful punch to the man's left eye. He delivered shot after shot to the man's shocked face as he continued to talk. "You think it's funny to beat women, do you? Beating someone weaker than you ain't so fun when the tables are turned is it?"

Adman tossed the man farther down the hall and shook his hand, the man's blood flying off it. He walked further down the hall and picked the broken man up by the neck. He slammed him into the hospital wall, which made an interesting red impression on the white panneling, pulled him in, and locked eyes with him. Well Mr. Hashoa only had one good eye at the moment.

Adman glared at him, letting the man's fear fester. "Are you listening to me now, you fat fuck?"

The man dumbly shook his head. Adman let him drop and grabbed the man's right hand with his left. He grabbed onto the index finger with his right. "You are going to pack up your shit and get the fuck out of that girl's house tonight. She doesn't owe you shit anymore. If I ever see you again I'll kill you. Do you understand?"

The man stared dumb for a second too long.

Adman quickly broke the man's finger. "I said do you understand!"

Adman broke the middle finger as the man sobbed through his one good eye.

Adman moved on to the ring finger, but before he could break it the man screamed out, "Yeeeees! Yes I understand! Don't break another one. Please!"

Adman let go and pushed him to the wall again. "Remember that."

Takato peered out from the room. "Hey buddy, everything ok?"

Adman put a friendly arm around the beaten man's shoulder. "Everything's just fine here. We were just working out a business proposition. Isn't that right?"

The man nodded his head feverishly, afraid to anger Adman.

Takato looked the cook up and down. "Geez, Mr. Hashoa, it looks like you've been in a pretty bad accident. You should be more careful."

The man called back fearfully, "So you didn't see any of that?"

Takato quickly and happily answered, "Didn't see a thing. What about you, partner?"

From inside Jeri's room Takato's partner came back, "Not a thing?"

Takato shrugged his shoulders as if saying, '_well what are ya gonna do?'_

Adman pointed the man in the direction of the door and watched him walk away before returning to Jeri's room. He picked a towel out from the bathroom and wiped blood off of his gloves and jacket. Jeri looked up at him with some concern. "What did you do?"

Adman sat down next to her and patted her arm gently. "What needed to be done."

Takato added in with some disappointment. "What I should have done two years ago."

Jeri put her head in her hands and sobbed. "It's not just him. There's a business behind him that needs to be paid. That's it. I'm out of business. My family is homeless. What am I going to do now?"

Adman leaned back, reclining in the chair with his fingers interlocked behind his head. He put his feet up on the bed next to Jeri's. "Well you could always take out a loan to pay off your loan."

Jeri sobbed some more. "I don't have any more credit! I'm screwed."

Adman sat forward, realizing she wasn't getting his subtle drift. "I'll pay off you debt."

Jeri sat forward, not crying for the first time in a while. She looked at him stunned. "You can do that? You would do that?"

Adman smiled and pushed a tear from her eye with his human hand. "Sure. I won't charge you too much and you won't have to sleep with me or take punches anymore."

Jeri looked concerned. "I don't have much to pay you with."

Adman patted her knee. "Then consider it a gift."

Jeri broke down crying again, though this time it was tears of joy. "I don't know how to thank you. Both of you."

Adman stood up and walked to the door, "I told you we'd save you. You make whatever statement you need to make to Takato's partner now."

The officer stood and told Adman, "I prefer Office Brady, if you don't mind."

Adman gave the man mock respect. "Excuse me, Officer. How could I disrespect you? Please take the lady's statement and we'll see her when she's feeling better."

With that Adman and Takato walked down the hallway, leaving Jeri a much freer woman.

* * *

><p>Takato and Adman sat by the patrol car for a few, waiting for Officer Brady to finish taking Jeri's statement. Takato couldn't stop smiling. "I can't believe you broke his fingers."<p>

Adman sipped from a bottled water. "Hey if you're gonna break something a hospital is a good place to do so."

The Tamer in uniform still felt bad. "Why couldn't I have done that?"

The dark Tamer gave Takato a piece of his philosophy. "You couldn't because you're a cop, and that limits you. You're part of society and so you have to live by their rules. I exist outside of society and so I can do whatever needs to be done. I've never seen how influencing a people from the inside has made sense."

Takato countered. "Yeah, but how do you know when you've gone too far when there are no rules? Without boundaries there's nothing to keep you from being what you hoped to stop."

Adman cocked his head in agreement and humility. He took a long hit of water before replying, "That has been the problem."

Officer Brady came walking out of the hospital with his notepad held up high triumphantly. Adman stood and held his hands out in submission. "Go ahead and cuff me."

Officer Brady walked up to him.

Takato looked at his partner. "Hey Bill, this guy wants us to cuff him."

The officer caught the cue. "Whatever for?"

Adman smiled. "Thanks guys. Hey did you say your name was Bill Brady? Are you American?"

The man nodded.

Adman shook his hand exuberantly. "My countryman! So what brings another states guy to the Shinjuku PD?"

The man grinned sheepishly. "I like Asian chicks."

Adman burst out laughing. "Now I'm from America too. We have Asians there. You can't bullshit me."

The officer just kept on smiling. "They aren't as authentic as the ones here."

Adman laughed.

Takato broke up the laughing by saying, "We'll just say we never saw you. Please don't get into any trouble. I'm keeping your weapons though. Just in case you do want to try something."

Adman's gear appeared on him as Takato finished his sentence. "I already had my shadow grab it for me, but thanks for your concern. Keeping out of sight would be best. Hey I'm trying to get the group together. Can we meet more comfortably soon?"

Takato thought for a moment. "I'll be heading to Jeri's dinner tomorrow. Come by there tomorrow at noon and we'll talk more then."

Adman waved goodbye. "See you then."

The dark warrior smiled inwardly. '_Two down.'_

He remembered file in his pack and his joy turned to sobering concern. He'd need to work faster.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Notes<strong>: This chapter was incredibly hard for me to edit simply becuase it pains me so much. Jeri Katou is one of my favorite characters and it hurts me to see her hurting so you'll have to forgive me if it took me some time. The next one should be up shortly. I'd like to hear what comments people have towards the new angle of the story. Thanks as always. -John C.


	20. Chapter Twenty: Flowers for a Friend

_Disclaimer: This work is for purely entertainment purposes and is not for profit. I do not own Digimon or any characters previously seen in Digimon. If anyone who does own Digimon sees this I am more than willing to help with the next season. Enjoy._

Chapter Twenty: Flowers for a Friend.

Henry Wong had just parked his car outside Shinjuku General Hospital and he was running in, trying not to be late. He had spilled coffee on himself just before leaving and it forced him to change, breaking the ritual of the day. He threw on his doctor coat and walked in for another fun filled day of work. As per normal Japanese medicine there were people waiting in a line as soon as he walked through the front doors. Some would go to him and others to the rest of the staff. Today was slightly odd though. Somebody had come in and requested Henry by name. Henry read the name on the file: Damon Shaw. It didn't sound familiar. He put on a happy face and pulled open the curtain to his area. A nurse brought in the first patient of the day.

Adman had changed a lot, but Henry could tell it was him almost instantly. The dark warrior was in street clothing for a change: a Mickey Mouse T-shirt and blue shorts. He wasn't even wearing his sunglasses. The one shoulder length black glove remained though. Adman had grown taller and stronger. His once short hair now ran to shoulder length and he had an unkempt beard.

Still Henry could tell almost instantly after Adman greeted him by saying, "Hey doc, my balls itch more than they should and I was wondering if you had a cream or something I could use."

Henry couldn't help but smile and laugh at his old acquaintance. "Adman, long time no see. What brings you to the hospital? I'd have thought we'd find you in the emergency room with a gunshot wound."

Adman shrugged his shoulders and tried to play innocent. "Well I wasn't shot today, but I wanted to see an old friend. Oh and I don't have insurance. In this country or any actually. Hopefully that isn't a problem."

Henry had to scold him, "Aren't you a millionaire? How can you not be able to afford health insurance?"

Adman joked around, "Well the bastards keep raising the premiums on me. They take one look at my arm and give me six weeks."

The dry wit of Adman Hows was a refreshing change to Henry's day, but he had to ask, "So really, what brings you here?"

Adman stood up and clasped his hands together. "I'm getting the band back together."

Henry knew what he meant. "A reunion does sound nice. I haven't seen the others for some time. And I guess your deal is up now that we're all grown. When did you plan on this?"

Adman took out a schedule from his shorts pocket. "In two days. I think I can get everyone together by then. Don't bring your wallet or potato salad. All expenses are on me and this is really a business meeting so leave the kids at home."

Henry pulled open the curtain to let Adman out. "I'm not actually married."

Adman slapped him on the back. "And that prevents you from having kids because…?"

Henry escorted him out kindly. He didn't have time for Adman's shenanigans. "Call me during my lunch break. Here's my card. I'll be on break in five hours."

Adman walked out. "I'll be at Jeri's, but I'll meet you after." _Three down._

* * *

><p>Adman went over to a bank and had Franklin wire over a large sum of money, converted into the Japanese yen. A man walking out of a bank in a Mickey Mouse T-shirt with a bag filled with yen is a sight to be seen. Some might even think he robbed the bank, but that was one thing Adman would never do. He'd stooped pretty low, but he'd never rob a bank. A fake I.D. was necessary to pull out the money, but Adman had plenty of those when the situation called for it. He walked over to the address Takato had given him. Jeri's restaurant was a small building, but homey. The dark Tamer ordered a bottle of sake to go with his breakfast and it came as a surprise to the staff.<p>

He was told, "It's not hot," by the woman taking his order.

The dark Tamer replied, "I'm American, mam. We drink all our beer cold."

She brought out a thin tall bottle of the beverage and a thin glass serving plate. The ceramic bottle was called a tokkuri while the plate was called a sakazuki, but Adman wasn't quite cultured enough to know that. The waitress poured Adman's first cup for him. It was at this moment that he realized the small saucer was supposed to be his cup. He picked it up and downed it. He made a face for a moment. The sake was neither hot nor cold, but a displeasing room temperature. He picked up the bottle, ignoring the saucer as unnecessary, and continued to drink. Adman sipped on the warm slightly alcoholic beverage while he watched his noodles and beef get cooked on a stovetop. The waitress tried not to stare as he drank from the serving bottle with gusto. It was the Japanese equivalent of drinking a pot of coffee without a cup.

Adman pulled a woman over, Jeri's step mom, and asked her, "Is Jeri out of the hospital yet?"

The woman shook her head no.

Just then Takato walked in the front door with Jeri under his arm. "Hey everybody, look who I found."

Jeri covered her face shyly. Adman motioned for the girl to sit next to him. Takato sat next to her on a stool.

Adman passed a bottle of sake down to the girl, but she refused. "It's too early in the day for me."

Adman checked the clock. It was nine in the morning and here he was downing alcohol. That actually wasn't too far from the norm for him, but it gave a bad impression. The little beverage sure didn't seem too bad though. He pushed it away, lest he be tempted during their conversation. "So Jeri, how much of a hole have you dug yourself into?"

Jeri looked down at her shoes. She whispered into his ear and he frowned. Adman looked at his yen. He had just over half that. He pushed the bag to her gently. "Franklin is going to kill me. I'll get more by the end of the day. I'm just amazed you racked up debt that fast. I hope you don't mind if I pay you back for the meal later."

Jeri looked in the bag. She had never seen so much money. "This is amazing! Are you sure?"

Adman nodded yes, but when she stuck her hand in the bag to count he wrapped his powerful right hand around hers. "There is one condition, though."

Jeri looked worried.

Adman let go of her and carefully peeled away a section of bandage that covered up her bruises. "This money is yours, as well as all the rest you need to pay off your debt so long as I never see your face look like this ever again. I always thought you were smarter than this."

Jeri dropped her chin just a little. "Me too."

Adman lifted her chin gently. "We all make mistakes when we feel we have no options."

She smiled that smile he loved so much. Takato loved to see that smile too.

Adman had his breakfast to go but before he could go Jeri asked, "Is there anything else I can do for you? I feel I owe you for all your kindness."

Adman looked at his friends and thought of something. "Actually there is something you can do. Buy my friend Takato here a glass of sake and a warm meal and spend the day catching up. You two have things to talk about."

With that Adman left.

Jeri's stepmom tried running after him. "He didn't pay!"

Jeri pulled her over and showed her the bag. "Yes he did. And he left one hell of a tip."

* * *

><p>The dark warrior withdrew another heaping fuck-ton of money. He got into a car he had stashed in an alley and took the time to change back into his normal clothing. The black leather suited him better and it meant Shadowmon could come too. He was tired of being a tourist anyway. Now with all the money he could want he looked down his list. There was still Kazu, Kenta, Suzie, Ai, Mako, Ryo and Rika. Adman knew he could just call Rika, but something held him from doing that. He was, for some reason, reluctant to call her. Her voice messages went through his mind. Each and every one reeked of hurt and the feelings of betrayal she must have felt he committed. He didn't want to abandon her. Didn't want to abandon any of them. He had already seen what had happened in his absence. He shuddered what evils Rika had to endure.<p>

He started off his list with calling Kenta, whose name he had found easiest in a phonebook. Kenta owned an upscale bookstore and was just giddy to hear from him. For some reason Ryo Akiyama wasn't in the phonebook. Nor was Kazu. He had tried so hard to keep tabs, but it was just such a long time and so far away. Henry would easily know where Suzie was and it seemed kind of creepy for him to try and find Ai and Mako. They would still be in school. Adman did the math. They were about eight or nine when he left. It was eight years later so they would be sixteenish. He rubbed his brow as the thought sunk in. Ai and Mako would be in high school by now. Senior high school by Japanese standards. They had been so small when he last saw them. Suzie was a year older. She would be graduating soon. How time flies.

* * *

><p>Takato and Jeri were sitting in a little booth in her restaurant. As per Adman's request they were enjoying a meal together and catching up on old times. Takato told many tales of close calls while on the force. Jeri wasn't the least bit surprised in Takato's career path. He had always liked helping people with their problems. Without Guilmon a gun and a uniform seemed like the next logical step if he was to continue trying to save the world.<p>

She poured Takato a warm dish of sake, but he refused. "Can I get one of those milkshakes you always talked about instead?"

Jeri laughed. "You remember that? You have a better memory than me."

Takato held his head up high, proud to impress the girl. His ego left him seconds later. "Yeah, but at least you can identify Adman. I nearly shot the poor guy."

Jeri thought for a moment of the man in black. "He likes to pretend he's tough as nails. He'd probably take your gun from you and show you how to shoot a man the right way. Then he'd demonstrate on himself."

Both of them laughed at the antics of their friend. Jeri hadn't laughed like that in her restaurant in years. It was like a giant dark cloud had been lifted from the place. She realized that after all those years of her making wrong decision after wrong decision her friends Adman and Takato were still right there at her side.

Her face became serious and she put her hand on Takato's so he would be silent. "Um, Takato. I'm sorry. I know how hard it must have been for you to see me in such a bad relationship all those years. I can't tell you how much it means to me that you're here after all that."

Takato lowered his gaze. "I'm glad you'll let me be here with you."

She seemed concerned. "What do you mean?"

He couldn't look at her at that moment. The bandages on her face were all too real. "I just let it happen for all that time. I tried to be supportive of you when your dad died, but I couldn't help you. Then Adman comes along and in one night does what I didn't have the courage to do for years. I should have been the man to save you, Jeri, but I wasn't. I was too weak. Adman's more of a man than I'll ever be and he does it without a badge and a gun."

Jeri tilted his head and forced him to look at her. "That's a lie and you know it. Adman has his own way of doing things. So do you. He's a good man, but he's violent and moody. Not like you. You're sweet and calm and caring. You love everyone around you. I wouldn't be here today if it weren't for you. I didn't have the strength to save myself and you didn't have the power to do it on your own. I'm glad that you're here. That should be all that matters."

Takato held her hand tightly. "Thanks, Jeri. You always know just what to say." His beeper went off just as they were making a breakthrough. "Ahhh. My shift is starting soon. I got to go."

He pulled out his wallet, but Jeri refused to let him pay for the meal.

Takato smiled. "I've never had a girl pay for my meal."

She waved him goodbye with his milkshake in hand. "Maybe that'll change."

Takato got into his car thinking, '_maybe lots of things will change.'_

* * *

><p>Henry got a call right as he was breaking for lunch. He pulled out his cell phone and answered, "Doctor Wong speaking."<p>

Adman came back on the other end, "I bet your parents are so proud every time they call you and hear that."

Henry didn't seem to listen too much. "So when do we want to hook up for lunch?"

He walked out the front door and there was Adman sitting in a two seated convertible out in the parking lot waving him over. "I've eaten, but how about now?"

Henry smirked and hung up his phone. 'C_ool or creepy? I'm not sure_. _He always was a cheeky bastard.'_

They drove down the road while Henry ate something they had picked up.

Adman was asking him about the group. "So far I've contacted you, Takato, Jeri and Kenta. For some reason I can't get ahold of Kazu or Ryo. How's Suzie?"

Henry swallowed a fresh bite of chicken. "She's good. I'll have her show as long as you promise not to kill anyone."

"Deal. What about the twins?"

Henry almost chocked on his food.

He gave Adman directions to a school. Adman watched as teenage boys and girls walked out to lunch. He couldn't help but think that it had been so soon when that had been all of them. Well not Adman exactly. His education was extreme. Adman Hows had been in college level classes when he was thirteen years old, but the interaction was the same. At least he thought it was. Part of him blamed his poor people skills on his education. The other part blamed it on previous jobs.

Henry had gone off to do something so Adman waited in the car across from the school for his friend. Henry came back with a bouquet of flowers.

Adman teased him, "Hot date?"

Henry didn't find it very funny. "Something like that. Ai is the girl in the dress out on that bench over there." Adman looked over and saw a sixteen year old girl in a school uniform sitting on a bench eating a sandwich. She had her hair pulled back into a long ponytail. Adman watched as a boy sat next to her and offered her something. An apple, he thought.

The dark warrior sighed. "Ah, young love. I remember when I was like that. What about Mako?"

Henry forced him to focus. "Come on. Drive down the road a ways."

* * *

><p>Henry knew what was to come next would be a shock to his friend, but it had to be done. He had Adman pull up to the Yanaka cemetery and got out.<p>

Adman looked around. "This can't be right."

Henry lowered his gaze. It was still hard for him to visit Mako.

Adman was panicked. "What happened? Did someone get to him? Was I too late?"

Henry looked confused. "What? No. He had Long QT syndrome. It's a genetic heart defect. He died about four years ago. Took us all by surprise. Ai has it too, but because of her brother we were able to treat hers with medication. If it weren't for Mako we might not have caught it in her. I guess Rika never told you."

Adman had a hard time talking. "She never mentioned it in any of her messages, but she stopped calling before four years."

Henry handed him the bouquet of flowers. "Go ahead and pay your respects."

Adman took the flowers up to the grave marker and left them for a friend he barely knew. Mako had never lived to see the best things in life. Beelzemon had said goodbye and not come back in time to see one of the children he loved so much pass on. As Adman placed the flowers on the gravesite of Makoto Maeda a tear rolled down his face and he gave the child a silent prayer in hopes that Mako would find peace. The death of a Tamer was a loss for the whole world. Adman pulled out his check list. He had found Ai and Mako, but took no pleasure in checking off their names. He went back to the car and drove Henry back to work. Adman had been too late to save everybody and he took the loss personally.

The drive was silent. Henry eventually asked, "You seemed concerned that there was foul play."

Adman denied it. "No way. I was just surprised. My mind always goes to the worst things first."

Henry had heard what he heard. "You asked if anyone had gotten to him. If you'd been 'too late'. What do you know that I don't?"

Adman pulled up outside Henry's work and told him. "I can't say anything yet. Just say you'll come to the reunion I've got planned. I'll explain everything there."

Henry opened the door and exit the car. As he shut the door Adman called after him, "Hey Henry, look after yourself, ok. Keep an eye on that sister of yours too."

Adman drove off before Henry could ask anything. What Adman had said wasn't a threat, but sounded very close to a warning. Henry would spend the rest of his day looking over his shoulder.


	21. Chapter Twenty One: The Unwanted Hero

_Disclaimer: This work is for purely entertainment purposes and is not for profit. I do not own Digimon or any characters previously seen in Digimon. If anyone who does own Digimon sees this I am more than willing to help with the next season. Enjoy._

**Chapter Twenty-One: The Unwanted Hero**.

Takato, Jeri, Kenta, Henry, Suzie and Ai. Those were the Tamers Adman had managed to gather thus far. Mako would never be part of his gathering. That fact alone saddened Adman, but he had to continue. The future of the Tamers was at stake. There was one, however, that he'd been purposefully ignoring. Rika Nonaka wouldn't have been too hard to find. He actually already had a lead on how to find her, but he'd resisted pursuing it for the simple fact that Rika bothered him. He'd failed to keep his promises to her and she made no effort to hide her displeasure of the fact. In the brief time Adman had known Rika all he'd managed to do was arm her and piss her off; a very lethal combination. She had a sword now, one that could match his own, and he legitimately feared what it could do by the simple fact that he had no idea what it did. His own sword had slaughtered beasts for more impressive than he was. If Rika's followed suit it made her dangerous. If she was still holding a grudge, well… he didn't want to find out what she'd do. The blades forged by Adman's benefactors in the Digital world were, for lack of a better term, magic. It seemed ironic to give such power to people with such bad tempers, but that's how everything had played out.

There was one other reason why Adman was reluctant to see Rika again. Last time he had left her he'd made it a point to appear to be as big of an asshole as possible. That wasn't true then, and he was certainly trying to improve his situation, but she would judge him as the monster she saw him to be. That hatred in her eyes was something he almost couldn't bear to see again. He contemplated just having Jeri or one of the others call Rika, but pride interfered. Adman Hows was many things, but he would not go down as a coward in anyone's book. So he pursued his lead and found Rika Nonaka. Her life would be the biggest surprise by far.

Adman followed his lead and it took him to a strange place; a place he would never willingly go. He sat in a balcony and scratched his head; utterly befuddled by what he saw. There was no amount of money Adman wouldn't have bet on Rika following any career path besides what she had eventually ended up as. He wanted to ask Shadowmon if they'd fallen into a parallel dimension, but couldn't with all the people around him. He leaned forward and waited for someone to tell him he'd been punked. This all seemed impossible.

Rika Nonaka was a dancer. Not even exotic, which Adman would have at least entertained, but ballet. Adman watched from the balcony as his old friend and nine other women performed for the occasional applause of the people below. He loved how little she had changed physically. Her hair was still in the same red pony tail and she still moved with the same angry flare that only the trained eye could pick up on when she was trying to hide it. This was one of those times. She wasn't happy and he could tell. Adman watched as she was caught and spun around by a big burly man in tights. To be honest the idea of seeing Rika in a tutu had sounded nice, but the play didn't call for it and at this point Adman was just utterly bored. Furthermore he wasn't dressed for the occasion. His outfit made him stand out like a sore thumb amid the regular patrons. He hated the looks.

As the initial confusion left Adman doubt crept into his mind and he wondered why he had come. Rika's last calls to him had not been friendly. She didn't want to see him. With the sword she probably didn't even need his help. He walked out of the theatre, at least that's what he was calling the venue, before the show was over. His red convertible was parked two blocks away from the theatre. He leaned up against it and strapped on his usual weapons. He picked up his cell phone and watched as people began pouring out. He would call her. If she wanted to talk to him then he would be there. If not it was no skin off of his nose. He let the phone ring and nobody picked up.

He left her a message: "Hey Rika. It's Adman. I know it's been a long time. I miss you and I hope that you can talk to me. Please call me back. Talk to you later. Bye."

He shut the phone and bit his tongue as he thought of all the things that he should have said. He reopened the phone and dialed again. Then he stopped. What if she was purposefully ignoring him? This thought only angered him more. After all he'd done for her, the sacrifices he'd made for her and her friends, the risks he'd taken, she would just ignore him! He would not be ignored. She somehow got under his skin without even talking to him. He let the phone ring and then wondered if he was making a mistake; being too impulsive. He was going to shut the phone, but then she answered. He stood there dumb for a moment.

Rika came over angry on the other end, "Hello?"

Her anger somehow made him happy. Like Jeri's smile or Takato's continued uneasiness around him Rika's anger had become something he'd learned to expect and even appreciate. Having her feel genuine disdain for him somehow felt right. Then he remembered why she was so upset. All the joy was sucked out of the call, but he tried to suck it up for her sake. She would be better off if he could convince her to join the reunion.

Adman sighed. "Hi Rika. It's me, Adman."

There was silence on the other end. Then she came back in a sarcastic manner. "Good of you to call. What do you want?"

Adman thought of what to say. The truth seemed like a good start. "I want to see you. We need to talk."

She laughed openly on the other end. "Did you get your phone disconnected for the past eight years? I left you message after message just like that and you never said a damn thing back."

Adman hated being scolded, but in this instance he deserved it. "Yeah I know. I'm sorry."

"Oh you're sorry? Well gee. That just makes up for all the years of abandonment." Her sarcasm was familiar too.

"I'm sorry, Rika. I'm prepared to make it up to you."

"You see that's impossible. There is literally no way to make it up to me. I'm done playing your games. I have a schedule planned and it doesn't involve you. I'm heading home. I'm going to get in my car, head to my apartment, have a bubble bath, and forget all about you."

It felt like she was trying to crush him under her shoe and it hurt. He was desperate. Desperate men say stupid things. He finally blurted out, "It was a good show tonight."

There was silence on the other end.

Then she came back, "You're here?"

Adman answered, "Yeah, I'm in town. Wanna see me?"

Rika sighed, "I can't. I just can't do this anymore. I'm to my car and there are some fans pestering me for my autograph so just te…." The phone went dead.

Shadowmon appeared next to Adman. "She hang up on you?"

Adman was sprinting towards the theatre. He had a pit in his stomach. "Something's wrong!"

* * *

><p>Rika Nonaka was just getting off stage. Her makeup was still fresh and she had to change into her street clothes. She went into her dressing room and changed into a pair of black pants and her grey top. It was simple, but all she wanted to do was get home after that long show. Then her phone rang in her purse. The ring tone was familiar, but she hadn't heard it in years. It was the ring tone she had set for when Adman called. She picked up the phone. Sure enough the caller was unavailable. That was Adman alright, but it was strange he wasn't calling her at four in the morning. Hell, it was strange that he was calling her at all. She had tried to call him so many times. To thank him for allowing her relationship with her father to grow. To tell him she was practicing with the sword he gave her. On the day that Mako passed she wanted nobody to talk to more. He was the man to talk to about death. She couldn't bring herself to call him at that point though. Somehow he was never there. She knew he couldn't answer, but felt betrayed anyway. So now eight years after her last call when the old friend was suddenly dialing her out of the blue she just felt angry. Above all else she remembered the night he'd snuck a kiss and she'd kneed him in the stomach over it. The affront never sat well with her and she hadn't forgotten it.<p>

She let it ring and waited knowing he wouldn't leave a message. He never did. Something about leaving evidence that he had been somewhere or even existed seemed to frighten the man. Then her phone beeped the familiar voice mail beep. He had left a message. She was surprised in that. She laughed inwardly as she collected her things, '_So he's finally got the balls to leave a message. Still not worth my time.'_

Then as she was heading out the door it rang again. She was getting angry. What right did he have to not take no for an answer after blowing her off for eight years? Somehow her want for answers overwhelmed her being pissed at him, but just barely. She answered the phone. There was nobody on the other end so she angrily asked, "Hello?"

Adman came through on the other end, "Hi Rika. It's me, Adman."

Big shocker. Way to state the obvious, stupid. If that was the best he had she wasn't impressed. "Good of you to call. What do you want?"

She was glad about how cruel that sounded. Serves the prick right. She couldn't believe his answer. "I want to see you. We need to talk."

She laughed as hard as she could into the phone. What a hypocrite. Did he forget everything? She would enlighten him. "Did you get your phone disconnected for the past eight years? I left you message after message just like that and you never said a damn thing back."

Then he had the nerve to say he was sorry. It was a start. He needed to say it about ten thousand more times to gain any traction, but it was a start.

"Oh you're sorry? Well gee. That just makes up for all the years of abandonment."

She had felt abandoned. She relied on him to get her friend back and he abandoned her when she needed him most.

He came back, "I'm sorry, Rika. I'm prepared to make it up to you."

Make it up to her? The rich bastard probably wanted to buy her off. Like she was some cheap whore. She didn't work that way. There was no amount of money he could offer her to make this ok. He still had tons of apologies to do as well.

"You see that's impossible. There is literally no way to make it up to me. I'm done playing your games. I have a schedule planned and it doesn't involve you. I'm heading home. I'm going to get in my car, head to my apartment, have a bubble bath, and forget all about you."

He came back with something that kind of scared her. He said that he liked her show. She felt his presence instantly. How did he know? Was he there? She instinctively turned around. There was a boy in a black shirt and blue jeans next to her. He took the time she had noticed him to ask for her autograph. She would have to wrap this call up. "You're here?"

She could hardly believe it after all the years without Adman. What new chaos was he bringing to Shinjuku?

Adman came over the other line, "Yeah, I'm in town. Wanna see me?"

She did. She wanted to so badly and she hated herself for that. He'd always been a good source of entertainment and his presence there now dangled a carrot in front of her nose. She might see Renamon again. She resisted the compulsion as a false promise. Finally she just exhaled. She had gotten to her car and she pulled out a pen to give the boy behind her an autograph.

"I can't. I just can't do this anymore. I'm to my car and there are some fans pestering me for my autograph so just ..."

From behind Rika multiple sets of hands grabbed her and pulled her into a dark alleyway. She tried to scream but her phone slammed shut on the ground after she dropped it in surprise. This was the only signal for Adman that there was a problem.

* * *

><p>The autograph had been a lie. It was meant to distract Rika while the friends of the first man moved in. They were unfortunate to mess with the wrong woman. As they pushed Rika into the alley she grabbed hold of one by the shoulder and brought him forward with her. She rammed his head into a brick wall and he fell over dazed. She elbowed one in the face and then felt hands try and hold her arms. She kicked another one in the balls as he came around and he fell over.<p>

Adman and Shadowmon watched from a rooftop above as the fight continued. The poor men were being tossed around fairly easily. Shadowmon looked to Adman. "Should we help?"

Adman chuckled. "Which side? She's doing fine. Let her handle it."

Shadowmon asked, "Do you think this is the threat we've been worried about?"

Adman was sure it wasn't. "These guys aren't professionals. They're just assholes looking for a good time. Let Miss Nonaka burn off some steam. When she's good and tired then I'll talk to her."

Shadowmon made the observation, "She doesn't have her sword."

Adman watched another man scream as Rika bit into his hand. "Somehow that does not put me at ease."

One of the men pulled a pipe from a wall and hit Rika upside the head with it. She was down for the count after that. The group gathered around the girl. The victorious pipe-weilder unzipped his fly and commented, "This one's got some fight. Like an animal. I like that. let's see how much of a beast we can bring out of her tonight."

Rika felt a hand on her thigh. This couldn't happen. She wasn't this weak. She'd keep fighting. Nothing would stop her. She struggled, pulled an arm free and made a fist to punch the closest man to her. Then she heard a thud coming from the entrance to the alley. A man in a black jacket had fallen from the buildings above and landed directly onto the lookout. The lookout's body lay unconscious where the fallen man had collided with it. Although she couldn't see it she knew it was Adman.

The warrior popped his neck as he stood. "You wanna see an animal? I'll show you an animal."

He came running for the other four men. The first man that attacked Adman was the man with the pipe. Adman slid underneath the man's swing and grappled onto one of the men who had been holding Rika. He grabbed that man by the head and lifted him off the ground. The dark warrior slammed the man's head into a brick wall, knocking him out instantly. The man with the pipe slammed the rod hard into Adman's back. Adman grit his teeth in pain, but refused to go down. He turned and slammed his right arm into the side of the pipe-weilder, throwing him sideways. The other two ran away scared. The dark warrior allowed the man with the pipe to get up.

Adman cracked his knuckles. "Last chance to walk away intact."

The man didn't care. He came at Adman with the pipe. Adman drew his sword and blocked the attack. He parried the man's weapon to the left and then backhanded the man in the face with his left hand. The rapist bastard wobbled back and Adman's sword moved swiftly. The pipe flew out of the man's hand and Adman's sword came to a rest on the shoulder of the would-be rapist.

The dark Tamer shook his finger at the man. "You're dealing with a professional, son. My advice is to just walk away."

Rika knew this was it. This was where Adman transitioned from almost human to incredibly cruel monster. This was the part where heads started to roll. He at least had two or three people to kill and she had no doubt all of them would be dead in seconds. The man with the sword on his shoulder took a swing at Adman and hit him in the jaw.

Rika felt certain that now Adman's rage would bubble over and he'd kill everything in sight. Instead Adman kneed him in the stomach, hunching him over, before verbally berating him, "Not a wise choice. So sorry. But hey, if you get caught with your pants down you know you're gonna get fucked."

Adman pushed him to the ground and picked up the metal rod lying on the ground.

The dark Tamer turned to Rika. "What do ya say, Rika? Shall I shove this up his ass or do you want the honors?"

Rika motioned a no. The man did too. Adman took a deep breath; letting the dark humor subside. "You two are no fun."

He clubbed the man in the skull with his own pipe, knocking him out. Adman hadn't killed anybody. He'd probably fractured a bone or two, but he hadn't killed anyone. It was a display of control he had lacked years ago. Rika had been hunched in a corner watching the fight. The entire ordeal hadn't really registered with her yet. How close she had been to something so horrible. She could still feel the touch of the pipe-wielder's hand on her thigh. Adman seemed to be babbling about the whole ordeal with glee. Evidently the traumatic incident hadn't registered the same way for him.

"Back by popular demand, the ass-kicking duo Nonaka-Hows. Step right up! Don't be shy. If you absolutely, positively have to get your skull cracked accept no substitute; don't be fooled by imitators. Nonaka-Hows for all your daily beat down needs. See I put your name first as a sign of respect. Anyway what the hell happened to this place? I've stopped an armed robbery, domestic violence, and now an attempted rape and I've been here a day and a half. It used to be the worst thing here was me… And large monsters… And blobs of red goo. But that's beside the point. Seriously what happened to the crime rate in this town? Rapists don't normally even travel in packs. I know a pretty girl like you can't help but get attention, but…"

He stopped dead in his tracks. "Oh shit. I said the 'p' word again. Don't take offense, Miss Nonaka. I meant no harm. Let me start over."

Adman offered her a hand up. "Can I escort you home, Miss Nonaka?"

Rika had no idea of what to make of the situation. It was all so very odd. So deeply terrifying. She pushed the hand away and got up on her own. "No thank you."

It came out angry. She was fine with that. Adman tried talking to her, but she just yelled at him.

Rika shouted, "You shouldn't have gotten in the way! I had everything under control!"

Adman stammered in confusion, "B-but.."

Rika walked away and yelled back, "Fuck off!"

Adman leaned against a wall in befuddlement and watched her get into her car to drive home. She seemed to have taken his rescue as an insult.

Shadowmon appeared next to Adman. "How did you manage to mess everything up this time?"

Adman sighed heavily. It turned into a groan. "I don't get it! I'm the bad guy; she hates me! I'm the hero; she still hates me! What the fuck do I have to do to earn a little respect? I mean have I missed something in the whole good guy manual? Aren't we supposed to be thanked for saving somebody instead of being told to fuck off? I-I just don't get it, Shadow."

Shadowmon complimented his Tamer. "I thought you did well, sir."

"Thanks, but I don't think she agrees. Follow her home; make sure she gets there ok."

"Then what should I do?"

"Return to me. She'll come around when she's good and ready... I hope. We've done our good deed for the hour."

Adman walked back to his car, certain that he had done the right thing, but confused as to why he got the reaction he did.

Shadowmon asked, "What are you going to be doing, sir?"

Adman replied honestly, almost bitterly, "I'm going back to our safe house and I'm going to drink until some part of this night makes sense to me."

Shadowmon slithered after Rika's car, but didn't like the sound of Adman's plans. When Adman and alcohol mixed together their odds of success always seemed to dip and Shadowmon's odds of abuse took a leap up. He did not look forward to returning later than night, but he followed Adman's orders.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's notes<strong>: Sorry this one took so long, but it's the start of a new quarter for me and I've also taken on a little extra work. I humbly await your flames involving Rika's job. In fact I've been accepting their inevitability ever since first writing the chapter a year ago with great anticipation. I just ask that you don't judge too harshly until an explanation is given… Or you could all gather torches and pitchforks and try to oust me for my crimes against nature. Just remember Frankenstein's monster lives on regardless of what happens to him. "Fire bad" and all that. Please read and review.


	22. Chapter Twenty Two: Rika's Life

_Disclaimer: This work is for purely entertainment purposes and is not for profit. I do not own Digimon or any characters previously seen in Digimon. If anyone who does own Digimon sees this I am more than willing to help with the next season. Enjoy._

**Chapter Twenty-Two: Rika's Life**

Rika Nonaka didn't want to go home. Not to her home anyway, not back to that little apartment. She drove in her sports car to her mother's house. Her childhood home. She opened the front gate she still had a key for and knocked on the front door. After a few seconds Rumiko Nonaka opened the front door to see her daughter in a sorry state. Her clothes were torn in places and there was a sizeable bruise trying to form just above Rika's hairline. Rika hadn't intended to cry; didn't want to cry, but seeing her mother after so many traumatic events forced her emotions. That powerful feeling of safety a child gets when in their parents presence no matter the age kicked in and she broke down into tears. Rumiko held her daughter at the front door for a long time, stroking her back while she cried. Crying was out of the norm for Rika, but then the night hadn't exactly been normal. Rika finally gained control of her nerves long enough to apologize for the outburst.

Rumiko hushed her. "Nonsense. You can always talk to me. Want to come in for some tea?"

Rika did and so the two sat in front of the foot tall table on cushions sipping tea. Rika's mother's house had always been decidedly Japanese. The kotatsu, the heated table they sat at, was a sign of that. There were no chairs or thick mattresses; just the tiny mats for kneeling on. Rika didn't mind. This was what she grew up with.

Rumiko finally asked, "So what was the matter?"

Rika had a hard time saying the right words. Finally she swallowed and fresh tears tried to form in her eyes. She fought them back and admitted, "I was almost raped tonight."

She broke down again and Rumiko sat closer to her daughter, holding her. "Oh Rika. I'm so sorry. You can talk about it when you want to."

Rika continued; anger starting to bubble up. "He saved me, mom."

Rumiko continued holding her daughter. "Who, dear?"

"Adman. You met him at my fifteenth birthday party. He always wears black. He just had to swoop in and help."

Rumiko knew who Rika was talking about. Not because of the description so much as how Rika reacted. Adman Hows was the only boy who ever had the audacity not to return her daughters' calls. Rumiko remembered that vividly, but she tried to give Adman the benefit of the doubt. She smiled slightly. "Well that was very brave of him. I hope you thanked him."

Rumiko had a way of putting things into perspective. She could always tell Rika when the young woman was reacting poorly. Rika knew her anger had been misplaced. It had been a brave thing for Adman to do. She'd been anything but kind to the dark Tamer, but he showed anyway. Her hatred wasn't so much aimed at Adman, but at herself for not being able to win the fight entirely on her own. It wasn't Adman's fault she needed help at that moment. A smirk graced Rika's features. Holding off five guys was nothing to scoff at. She'd done a good showing of herself. In fact Adman only bested three. So really it was about a fifty-fifty workload. Her mind rationalized the events, but then she suddenly realized what she'd done.

Rika didn't face her mother, but she answered her mother's comment. "No. No I didn't. I was so angry and … scared, I guess. After what had happened I didn't want him to see me like this so I just got in my car and drove here."

Rumiko didn't say anything. Her daughter had gone through too much for her to judge her at this point. Rika was doing a good enough job judging herself anyway.

"I just couldn't believe it. I haven't seen him for eight years. Then when he calls I tell him to basically fuck off and then those bastards grabbed me..." _'He came to help me, and I was so cruel to him.'_

"It's ok, Rika. Hopefully he'll understand. You should thank him next time you see him though. He sounds like a good man."

A voice behind the two startled them, "He has his moments."

They both turned quickly. Shadowmon had appeared behind them. He was the last Digimon left on Earth and Rika hated how much he looked like Renamon. It filled her with false hope.

Rika snapped at the fox, "What are you doing here?"

The dark Digimon stepped out from the shadows of the room. "My master ordered me to make sure you got home safely. I'm guessing this isn't your home so I thought I'd come in and say hello rather than wait outside for you to leave. If I'm intruding I can leave."

Rika was about to say something when her mother cut her off with a kind, "No no. That was very nice of him and you. Thank you for escorting my daughter home. Would you like some tea?"

The Digimon nodded. "If it's not too much trouble I would appreciate a cup."

Rika watched as the Digimon drank quietly. Finally she had to ask, "So how is he?"

Shadowmon set the cup down gently. "He's as good as he normally is."

Rika knew what that meant. Adman had always been a sad excuse of a man mentally. He was broken and she knew it. Somehow she couldn't feel any pity for him at that time.

Instead Rika asked, "So what is he doing back? Tell me he isn't warring with Yamaki."

Shadowmon was decidedly tight-lipped at that mater. "Classified information. Our primary mission at the moment is to bring the Tamers together though. I hope you'll show."

Rika sat and watched the dark Digimon for a time before finally asking, "So what's his deal? Adman? Was he always, you know, like this?"

Shadowmon remained stoic, but he smiled inwardly. "You mean has he always been a manipulative bastard? No. You'd have to go back quite a ways to find him better though."

"How long?"

Shadowmon sipped his tea as he replied, "Before puberty."

Rika hated the short answers. She prodded, annoyance surfacing in her voice, "Can't you be more detailed?"

Shadowmon set his cup down and faced her. "I can't tell you much. If I do he'll, ya know, hurt me. I try to avoid that."

Rika couldn't imagine what that type of relationship would be like. How could this Digimon endure such a partnership? Even in her darkest times Rika never had such a cold grip on Renamon. She let loose a small bit of sympathy for the Digimon. "Why do you put up with it?"

Shadowmon lowered his head. He picked up his cup and watched the tea leaves swirl inside. "Because I knew him before he was like this."

He set the cup down and stood up. "And I believe that he can be that way again."

Shadowmon walked towards the door. When he got to it he called back in a chuckled tone, "Or maybe I'm just a glutton for punishment. I don't know. Thank you for the tea. I will wait outside for you."

Rumiko waited for the fox to leave before telling Rika, "I think you struck a nerve."

* * *

><p>As Rika was leaving she pulled out a small stack of cash and handed it to her mom. "For grandma."<p>

Rumiko nodded. "Thank you dear, but you don't have to do this. I'm more than capable of taking care of her."

Shadowmon appeared next to her and asked, "If you don't mind me asking, is everything ok with her?"

Rika looked away sad, but her bitterness remained, "It's none of your business but my grandmother's not well."

Shadowmon tilted his head to Rumiko, knowing he was getting nowhere with Rika. "If you need money Adman is more than willing to help out until she gets better."

Rumiko forced a smiled. "That's very kind of you, but…"

Rika cut in angrily, "You'll be paying for a very long time."

Shadowmon let his head sag. "I meant no disrespect. I'm sorry."

Rumiko had had enough of her daughter's unkindness. "Rika Nonaka, treat our guest with some respect. He only wants to help and frankly your attitude is starting to bother me."

Rika couldn't say anything when her mother put her foot down so she stayed bitterly silent.

Shadowmon looked away, but asked, "What's wrong with her?"

Rumiko answered, "She's just moody."

The Digimon smiled slightly. It was a rare courtesy from the stoic fox. "No, I meant what's wrong with your mother?"

Rumiko caught what had happened. "Oh. I see. It's her mind. She's in the advanced stages of dementia. She's got Alzheimer's. Started losing it about three years ago and its hit her like a ton of bricks I'm afraid. We are trying to make her as comfortable as possible, but that's really all we can do."

The Digimon looked sad. "I'm sorry. I wish we could help."

Rika piped in. "Well you can't."

Rumiko silenced her with a look.

* * *

><p>Rika drove home with a shadow following her. Her poor mood hadn't improved by the time she got to her apartment.<p>

As Rika stepped from her car she realized her clothes were torn in places and she had blood on her shirt. It wasn't hers thankfully, but she still looked like hell. "I hope you and Adman are happy. That little scuffle ruined my clothes."

Shadowmon appeared and tried reasoning with her, "Your anger is poorly directed. We weren't responsible for what happened to you. We were the solution, not the cause."

Rika turned to walk away. "Yeah well, you still shouldn't have helped."

Shadowmon followed after her. "I think you didn't want us to help…"

Rika responded sarcastically, "Perceptive. Glad you're getting it."

Shadowmon continued, "Because by involving ourselves in your rescue it damages your vision of Adman as an asshole. You can't cope with the idea that he might not be the bad guy in this situation."

Rika groaned in anger. "I can't 'cope' with half of the things I've had to deal with tonight, but that is not one of them. I know Adman's a lying asshole. You can't convince me otherwise."

She walked up the steps to her apartment on the second floor. The calm steps of Shadowmon would have been unnoticed by anyone else, but Rika had years of practice with Renamon's similar movements.

"Why are you still following me?" she demanded.

Shadowmon stopped. "I was instructed to make sure you made it home. You aren't inside yet."

Rika sighed. "Thanks, but it's been a rough night so if you don't mind."

Shadowmon courteously replied, "I don't mind."

She wasn't sure if he was being intentionally dense or if he just didn't get that she wanted him to leave.

She leaned against the door of her apartment. "This is it."

Shadowmon nodded in understanding. "Then I will leave you. Good night, Ms. Nonaka. I hope you sleep pleasantly and that the rest of your night is uneventful."

He began to disappear, but as she felt her only connection to Adman slip away she asked him to stop.

Shadowmon reappeared and asked, "Yes?"

Rika hadn't thought of what to say next. Finally she swallowed up her pride. "Would you thank him for saving me?"

His response surprised her.

"No. You can do that when you meet with him next."

She couldn't believe it. Adman still wanted to meet with her. He was stubborn.

Shadowmon tilted his head inquisitively. "Anything else?"

Rika thought for a moment. "Yeah. Does he ever talk about me? I just want to know if I'm dealing with a stalker or not."

Shadowmon grinned a fearsome toothy grin. She realized that he wasn't trying to be scary, but that helped little. He saw her concern and hid his sharp teeth. "I can't say that he speaks much about you. He doesn't talk much even to me."

Rika was disappointed. She unlocked her door and put one foot inside it. He stopped her before she could go all the way in. "I do have to say that I know his mind better than most. I know he considers not bringing the Tamers into the fold a missed opportunity. I think he thinks about you from time to time. He thinks Tamers are partnered with Digimon that reflect them so he thinks you two are similar."

Rika quickly said, "We're not."

Shadowmon continued, "I hope that you can reconcile with him. It would mean a lot to him. Adman hasn't considered himself human in a very long time, but he still feels very human emotions. Weaker ones like compassion and fear. He fears for you. That's why we've come."

Rika processed the thought in a second and then realized Shadowmon was gone. "Wait! Fear what? Why does he fear for me? What's going on? Rrrrg. Can't believe he vanished on me again!"

Shadowmon watched Rika close her door from afar. He knew he'd gotten the girl's interest. Not only that, but he'd been truthful and helpful. He returned to Adman, happy that he had performed a kindness for his master.

* * *

><p>Adman Hows was pacing back and forth waiting for his Digimon to return. He'd been drinking. There was a half empty bottle of his favorite liquor resting nearby. The black fox had been gone for too long, and it made Adman nervous. Although Adman had his back to the door when Shadowmon slipped in he felt the Digimon's presence as assuredly as if the Digimon had knocked.<p>

"You were gone a very long time."

Shadowmon leaned against the door. "She misses you, sir."

Adman turned to his Digimon, keeping his emotions close and guarded. "How do you know that?"

Shadowmon folded his arms across his chest. "The way she talks about you. It is bitter, but she asked about you. She asked if you miss her."

Adman took a step closer. "Why were you talking to her? That wasn't part of the mission."

Shadowmon explained, "She didn't go home immediately. She wanted to have tea with her mother first. So I stopped in and talked."

"What was your answer to her question? Did you tell her I missed her?"

Shadowmon nodded his head yes. He was going to add a 'more or less' but Adman didn't give him the time. Adman immediately smacked his Digimon painfully across the mouth. The Digimon fell over.

Adman was consumed with rage. "You had no right! My personal life is mine to discuss with her or anyone else! You don't say shit unless I say so."

Adman pulled out his Digivice and the familiar energy whip came pouring out of it. Adman raised his hand.

Shadowmon covered his face in fear of the coming lashes. "I was only doing it for you. She misses you and I wanted to help. Please don't hurt me, sir."

Adman's rage subsided. He realized he had been cruel to his friend for no reason. The whip disappeared. "Thank you, my friend. I can handle my own matters though."

Shadowmon didn't say another thing for the rest of the night. He spent the rest of the night licking his wounds and sulking in the corner while Adman slept. Despite the Digimon's bad mood Adman needn't fear retaliation while he slept. Shadowmon loved him in a way Adman simply could not reciprocate. Adman hadn't loved anyone in about ten years, the fox included. Shadowmon's loyalty to his Tamer meant that Adman could abuse the Digimon all he wanted without the Digimon coming back on him. That was their relationship. An imperfect one at best.

* * *

><p>Rika sat in her bathtub soaking off the horrid events of the day. Adman was back in her life. He wanted to see her. Why? She had made it abundantly clear she didn't want to see him. She relaxed and thought about the day, but her thoughts went back to the warrior in black. He had gotten big. Big and muscular was nothing new in the Adman department. The beard just seemed stupid on the warrior, but the long hair was a nice touch. It seemed like he'd given up on grooming. He'd definitely changed. She hated to admit it, but she missed the bastard. He had single-handedly saved her relationship with her father. Then he had saved her from Yamaki's men. He and Shadowmon. They had killed to protect her. Even in his absence Adman was suspiciously loyal.<p>

Rika shook herself. How could this be? How could she be thinking positively about a man who had wronged her so much? Who didn't even bother to take her calls after eight years. She sighed, '_Why do men have to be so complicated? Actually, not all men. Most are easy. Adman Hows needs a decoder ring to understand half the time.'_

Rika grinned at her own joke; a mental jab at Adman. She let the bubbles in the tub relax her. It was a rare girlish delight that she allotted herself on rare occasions. From the open bathroom door she could see the rest of her apartment. The small main room was just off of the bathroom door. She had a dresser with a T.V. atop it facing her small full bed. Her bed included a mattress and box spring, unlike her childhood counterpart. There wasn't much in the small apartment. She had an easel in her Kitchen waiting for her to work on it. The easel had been a gift so many years ago and she had kept it. The masterpiece she had been working on hadn't been panning out. Somehow it lacked something. As her eyes returned to the dresser she scowled. Adman's katana, his only gift to her, was resting against the dresser. Why she had kept it all these years she would never know. It might have been useful that night, but she never had it on her. She sighed. It would be excellent at scaring off thieves should they try and break in. Other than that it was useless. What a stupid gift. In his mind it was probably thoughtful too. She groaned as her mind simply could not focus. The bubbles were not doing their work sufficiently.

Rika toweled off and dressed in her painters smock. It seemed counterproductive to be painting right after taking a bath, but the action of putting paint on canvas helped her mind. She looked at the abstract painting she had been working on. Somehow it seemed lacking something. She mixed colors and thought about what to do. A splash of vermillion her. A dab of lavender there. It just didn't accurately portray anything. In a fit of frustration she mixed all the colors on her palette into a thick soupy brown. Somehow that was close. She dabbed it here and there and felt the painting improving, but not enough. Finally it came to her. Black. The painting needed black. She painted in shadows to some of the strange objects in the painting which gave the piece substance and depth beyond what it had had before. Then she looked at the work and realized that even in her painting it reminded her of that bastard Adman. All it needed was a little black. God damn black. She hated that black fucking jacket that he always wore, but couldn't imagine him without it. She set her equipment aside, washing her brushes and such, and went to bed. He would not trouble her further that night. She promised herself that.

'_He'd better have a good excuse for coming back_.'


	23. Chapter 23: How a Man Became a Monster

_Disclaimer: This work is for purely entertainment purposes and is not for profit. I do not own Digimon or any characters previously seen in Digimon. If anyone who does own Digimon sees this I am more than willing to help with the next season. Enjoy._

**Chapter Twenty-Three: How a Man Became a Monster**

Rika woke up at eight in the morning to her cell phone ringing. She picked it up and groggily answered, "Hello?"

Adman's voice came through clear and happy and she was suddenly wide awake. "Good morning, Miss Nonaka. I hope I didn't wake you. I can let you get more sleep if you like."

Rika got out of bed and slowly got dressed while talking to the man. Her instincts told her she was going to regret picking up the phone. "I was sleeping, but I'm up now. What do you need?"

"I was hoping I could take you out to breakfast."

She moved the phone away from her ear for a second and looked at it as if the phone had lied to her. Then she put it back to her ear and asked with some concern, "Are you asking me out?"

Adman replied, "That wasn't the intent. Consider it two old friends catching up. If it makes you feel better I promise not to attempt to round second base."

She thought about the idea of a free breakfast, but the thought of spending more time with Adman just sounded unappealing. "Sorry, but I have other things to do."

Adman would not give up the chase that easily. His voice sounded innocent enough though. He went to great lengths not to sound accusatory. "Yeah, like what? Maybe I can take you there."

Rika was getting annoyed. "Like work. Some of us have lives you know."

Adman came back kind of sad. "You're lying to me. You didn't use to do that."

She bit her toothbrush hard as he said that. She had been brushing her teeth. "What makes you say that?"

"I checked you schedule. You don't have a show for a few more days and I can guarantee you don't need practice. Your paintings you probably do from home so your schedule sounds clear to me. Unless you have a date or something, that is?"

Rika thought about lying to the prick, but knew he would see through it somehow. She exhaled harshly. "Fine, I'll have some breakfast with you. God you're tenacious."

Adman came back giddy. "Relentless. I'll drive."

Rika stepped out onto her walkway to get some air. "So when should I expect you?"

Adman didn't say anything, but there was a honking of a horn below her in the parking lot. She looked down and sure enough there he was sitting on the hood of his red convertible. "Good morning. You look well and ready. Your chariot awaits, Miss Nonaka."

She hung up the phone startled. She went back inside and came out with her katana. There was a pit in Adman's stomach as he saw the blade. He swallowed, but wouldn't let her see his fear. Adman was calm as she came down the stairs; sword drawn.

"Hey, good to see you kept it…" Adman said uneasily.

Rika pointed it at him and Adman didn't move as the blade rested gently on his chest. She growled at him. "This is unacceptable. You can't just hang out outside my apartment. Are you stalking me?"

Adman leaned back farther on the car to avoid the pressing of the blade on his chest. "Never. I respect your privacy. I'm just a friend who hasn't been in town for a long time offering another friend some breakfast and a chance to catch up."

Rika put the tip higher up.

Adman stared down the tip through large eyes. "I thought I taught you never to point that at anyone you didn't want to kill?"

Rika titled her head and smiled that wicked smile. "I know."

Adman moved his right hand to the blade and ran his finger along the flat of the blade as if admiring the straightness of it. "You know when I gave this to you I intended to teach you how to use it."

Rika was getting irritated that Adman wasn't showing much fear. She growled. "I can use it just fine!"

Adman smiled at her. "Well let me give you a tip then. When interrogating a man with a sword like that I like to rest the blade of the neck of the target."

Adman slowly put his thumb under the blade and gave it a push until it moved to the right side of his neck. "That way you have them completely at your mercy. Right now you're on the right external jugular. If I were to kick you to try and get you to back away the simple act of the blade pulling away would slice that open and I'd die very fast. And if I try and sit up when you don't want me to, you can move your blade to your right and make it so that moving forward causes me to slice myself open. Either way there's no escape."

Rika moved the blade away slightly. She couldn't understand what he was doing. "Why would I need to know that?"

Adman sat forward as far as she'd allow. "Because these are the skills I know. I'd be willing to teach you. You could be like me."

Rika cringed at the thought and Adman's shirt got a nick in it from the sword's movement. He touched the spot and made sure he wasn't bleeding. The female Tamer now understood. He was presenting her with a clear choice. She could either make like she intended to harm him, a bluff at best, and be more like him, or let him go and set herself apart from what Adman was. He'd framed the situation so either way he won.

Adman spoke softly, "For what it's worth I don't think you want to be like me. All I did was offer some breakfast. I'd take the offer. You don't want to hurt me, do you Rika?"

Rika lowered the sword and allowed Adman up. Adman stood and looked at his shirt. "Well now I need to change. Hold on. I got a shirt in the trunk."

As he changed he made the comment. "You know I know you're beyond saying thank you, but I did do something good for you the other night. Most women react," he paused for a moment; thinking of the right word, "differently, when I save them."

Rika shook her head in frustration as Adman put on a fresh shirt. "Get used to it. I'll be down in a second."

Adman watched her go back into her room and exhaled lightly.

Shadowmon's voice whispered to him, "Was that a sigh of contentment, sir?"

Adman mumbled, "Fuck no. I nearly dropped a load in my pants. For all I know that sword could electrocute me with a thought from that woman."

Rika closed her door and tossed the sword onto her bed before she spun around in her ballerina manner. Her heart secretly leapt just slightly. She'd heard what Adman said. She'd gotten to him! He was tough, but he could be broken. God she had missed toying with him. He had such a high tolerance for abuse, and she never really felt bad about it. He was like a horrible wrestling villain; someone you loved to hate.

Rika came down in something she considered an antique. She was wearing her old full heart t-shirt and blue jeans. The shirt was a recreation, but after they had become celebrities her style was recreated in adult shirts.

Adman clasped his hands together. "Bellisimo! Very nice. It's good to have the old Rika back."

She ignored him and sat in the passenger seat. "Yeah well I didn't feel like getting dressed up for you. So what's for breakfast?"

Adman hopped into the driver's seat and started the car. "I know a place. I hope you don't mind, but I thought we'd visit some old friends."

Rika wondered what he was talking about, but so long as he paid for her breakfast she was ok with it.

As they drove Adman asked, "So that is the shirt from the old days right? Does this mean you haven't grown at all in all these years? Because I think you've filled out just a little. You're at least taller."

Rika decided to walk down memory lane. "Do you remember that night you and Shadowmon helped me bring down a Tyrannomon?"

"You mean when you and Renamon helped me…"

"Shut up. And remember how you insulted me for that outfit I was in?"

"I recall no insult. I seem to only recall a compliment that you took as an insult."

Rika shot Adman a look.

He quickly added in, "but that's water under the bridge now. What's your point?"

Rika explained, "Well you aren't the only one who saw people getting nervous about Tamers. We've been trying to think of ways to make Tamers more…" She couldn't think of the right word.

Adman volunteered, "Accepted?"

Rika went with it, "Whatever. Anyway my mother suggested a Tamers line of fashion. I hated the idea, but I figured if it helps the cause then."

"Then you'd do it for the good of the Tamers. That's decent of you. Why do I get the feeling that it didn't work?"

"Because Yamaki shut us down after two months. He said that we couldn't try to market Tamers or the Digital world."

"That seems insanely illegal."

"Yeah, but that didn't stop him from shutting us down. So to sum it all up I spent two months of my life doing something I hate for a cause that didn't work."

"…and all you got was this lousy t-shirt. Funny how things work out sometimes, huh."

Rika fumed. "It wasn't funny."

Adman let out a dry laugh. "Oh come on. It's been like a decade. Let it go. I mean you spent two months doing modeling. I invested considerable time and money into the Tamers, broke into a government building, and put myself in severe danger, and all I got to show for it was a fucking lighter."

Rika laughed as she remembered Adman's plight. It was funny how he summed it up. Then she realized she'd let her seething resentment of him lax slightly and tried her best to ignore him.

With a sense of disappointment Adman mumbled, "Apparently I also got a severe case of the cold shoulders."

* * *

><p>Adman pulled up in front of Jeri's restaurant.<p>

Rika looked up at the sign. "I've never heard of this place."

Adman grabbed a grocery sack that had been tucked under Rika's seat before exiting the car. "It's a place to get one hell of a milkshake, I hear."

Rika protested, "But it's nine in the morning!"

Adman stopped at the door. "Well there's always the hot sake."

Rika grumbled as he held the door open for her. "Trying to liquor me up? Real subtle."

Adman sat down on a stool and Rika followed. There weren't many people in the restaurant at that hour.

Adman turned and noticed a cop speaking to a waitress with a bandage over her eye. He called out to the two. "Good god, man. When I said have some lunch here I didn't think you'd put down roots."

The officer turned around. Rika saw something familiar in the face.

The officer told Adman, "It's my lunch break. I try to stop by."

"You get lunch at nine in the morning?" Adman exclaimed.

The officer replied, "Yeah, well I've been on duty since two."

Adman stood up and hugged the man. "Good to see you again."

He turned to the girl the cop was with. "And how is my favorite waitress?"

The girl hugged him hard and kissed him on the cheek. Rika suddenly grew inexplicably angry. She couldn't believe how quickly Adman made himself at home. He couldn't have been in town a week and he'd already managed to hook up with a couple waitresses. How the hell did he do it?

She was about to say something when the cop noticed her and became excited. "Rika? Rika Nonaka, is that you?"

Rika finally recognized the voice and the face came with it. "Takato?"

Takato ran up to the girl. "How've you been? Its been awhile."

Rika was excited too. Takato was one of her first real friends and not keeping in touch with him had always upset her. "Yeah. Adman offered me breakfast, but I didn't think you'd be here. I can't believe you're a cop now."

Takato took off his cap and set it on the table. "That's what everyone says. Everyone, but Jeri."

Rika looked over to the waitress again. "Oh my god, is that Jeri?"

She pulled Takato closer so others couldn't hear. "What happened to her face?"

Takato reclined on Adman's stool. "Jeri was in a bad relationship. Adman sent him packing though."

Rika smiled at the thought of that. "Thank goodness. That creep deserves what he got. Hey wait, what about you and her? Weren't you two in a relationship?"

Takato looked back to Jeri. "It's a long story. I didn't do that to her if that's what you're thinking."

Rika shook her head innocently. "No."

She really wasn't. Takato didn't have a mean bone in his body. He loved Jeri and would never hurt her. Rika was just shocked to see so many ghosts from the past in one room. Adman handed Jeri the bag he walked in with and she jumped for joy.

Rika pulled Takato's sleeve. "What's in the bag?"

Takato took a deep gulp from his coffee. "My guess is a couple hundred thousand yen."

Rika couldn't believe she had sat so close to that much money or that Adman was just giving it away.

Rika had to ask, "So what did Adman do to the guy who did that to Jeri?"

Takato thought fondly of the night. "He beat the crap out of the guy's face, broke a few ribs and two fingers. Then he told the guy if he ever looked at Jeri again he'd kill him."

Rika knew Adman hadn't lied. The dark warrior had a soft spot for women and no trouble killing for them. She thought back to the night before where Adman had saved her and beat down three men for her even after she had been so mean to him. He was one hell of a sport.

Adman came back to the stool and Takato let him sit next to Rika.

The warrior winked to the officer and said. "I'll let you two get back to your lunch break."

Jeri giggled. "Good luck with yours."

Rika glared at the dark Tamer suspiciously. "What did you tell them?"

Adman tried looking innocent. "I just said I was taking a friend to breakfast. Speaking of which."

Adman called Jeri's half-brother over and the boy took their order. Adman had beef over noodles and a warm bottle of sake.

Rika looked through the menu and ordered, "The number sixteen."

Adman looked at the menu and felt slightly disgusted. "Eel? You're ordering the eel?"

Rika replied, "Hey you're paying so I figured I'd treat myself. Don't tell me it's too expensive. You just gave a sack of money to Jeri."

Adman shivered. "Money is not the issue. You're really into slimy eel?"

Rika glared at him. "Is there a problem with what I eat?"

Adman shrugged and tried scooting away from her. "No…"

He waited a few seconds and then got a wicked grin on his face. "Come to think of it that's ok with me. It proves you have no gag reflex; which I find to be a plus in women."

He had to speak quickly to finish his joke before Rika slapped him upside the back of the head. "Pervert."

Adman rubbed the back of his head. "Hey. That hurt. Hey there's an officer sitting right over there. That is assault! You saw it, right Takato?"

Takato called over, "I see nothing. That's Rika we're talking about. You try handcuffing her."

Adman slumped in his chair. He had a bondage joke prepared, but let it go. He was content with his first joke.

For some time they sat in silence.

The dark warrior turned back to the girl. "So let me start off by apologizing for Shadowmon last night. He was only supposed to follow you to make sure you got home safely."

Rika stopped him. "Your little pet did nothing wrong. He was just following your orders. You, on the other hand, shouldn't have me followed. I don't like it."

Adman nodded profusely. "I won't anymore. I'm sorry. I was just worried. After the incident last night I just worried about your, um, stability."

Rika hated that he questioned her mental stability, especially with what her grandmother was going through, but he didn't know.

Adman saw the look in her eyes. "What's wrong?"

Rika sighed. "Your Digimon didn't say anything to you about our talk last night?"

Adman shook his head no.

She continued. "Well my grandmother is suffering from dementia so I don't really like it when you question my stability. Genetics and all."

Adman set his gloved arm on the table and looked at it. "DNA can be a bitch can't it. Though you seemed to get the good parts of your folks."

Rika shoved him, but it was not an angry shove. It was playful. He smiled and she scowled as she realized she had put down her defenses again.

After a few seconds of silence Rika asked. "What about your parents? What are they like?"

Adman's shoulders sagged. "My parents were good people. My mother was the kind one. My father was the rich bastard that left me all my money. He was just like gramps."

Rika remembered that Adman's parents had passed away. "I forgot… I'm sorry." She put a hand on his shoulder.

Adman shook her hand off; the darkness returned to those blue eyes. It was an odd blend when coupled with his honest smile.

Then he made an admission that scared her. "Don't be. I killed them."

Rika couldn't believe a man could say something so cold so matter-of-factly.

* * *

><p>When their breakfast arrived Rika had a hard time eating. What Adman said had unsettled her. After he paid the bill they were driving home when she demanded they stop at the park. She wanted to yell at him outside of a moving vehicle. He obliged, as always. As they walked Adman sipped from a straw in a foam cup. He'd requested a cup of sake to go and Jeri had obliged. Actually he'd asked for a 'big gulp' full, but she didn't have a cup that big. Rika walked down the park and he followed her silently.<p>

Curiosity and anger bubbled up inside Rika until finally she turned around and demanded, "Ok, were you joking? Did you actually kill your parents? Because sometimes I can't tell with you."

Adman leaned against a tree and put on his sunglasses. "They are dead because of me."

His voice was heavy. This was a conversation he didn't want to have.

Rika confronted him. "That isn't the same as killing them."

Adman replied coldly. "Well the result appears to be the same. They're still dead. I find a corpse is no less dead because you yourself killed the person or because you failed to save them. It's all about the same."

Rika gripped Adman by the shoulders and shook him. "What happened? You want us to trust you then you need to stop playing with us."

Adman noticed a bench and sat down on it. He looked to the girl. "I really can't talk to you about this. I tell you too much, and you tell someone else… Bad things happen. I don't want to have bad things happen to you, Miss Nonaka."

Rika sat down on the opposite side of the bench. "What if I said I wouldn't tell anyone?"

Adman retorted. "What if I told you I'd have to be the one to do bad things to you if you did tell somebody? Does that change things?"

Rika gave him a cocky look. "You could try. I don't think you'd win."

Adman thought for a moment. He had to make a decision. Finally he made one. "How about we make a deal? If I tell you what you want to know then you come to my little meeting of the Tamers. You support me when I make my proposals. I don't want you turning on me like last time."

Rika began to argue, "I didn't… You know what. Deal. I'll support you. Did you kill your parents?"

Adman had a hard time thinking of how to begin his story. He tried compartmentalizing his emotions, but it was difficult to tell anyway.

"I didn't exactly kill them. I killed my grandfather though. I was ten at the time. The old bastard never treated me right, but he liked teaching me stuff. He'd teach me how to make traps and things. He thought I'd be stronger than his wimpy son was. I'd turn around and snare him with a deer snare or booby-trap his closet."

Rika rubbed her temples. "You've been causing chaos all your life."

Adman nodded. "One night while my parents were away I decided to really mess with him. I upped my game to include poisons. I wanted to make him sick. It would have worked, putting the right level of household cleaners in his drink, but I didn't take everything into account. I'd checked the dosage many times. I did my research. I was smart. The problem was I was pranking for a healthy adult. My grandpa had undiagnosed health issues. The poison wouldn't have killed a healthy man, but it sure killed him. As he convulsed I called my parents for help."

The dark Tamer stopped. "You following so far."

Rika was fairly silent. "So you accidentally gave your grandfather a lethal dose of poison as part of a prank."

Adman nodded. "How much do you believe in odds and statistics?"

"Um enough, I guess."

"You're going to need to believe in them a little more. What are the odds that two separate tragedies occur independent of each other in one night to one group of people?"

"I don't know. A million to one?"

"You could say a billion to one. There are still about seven billion people on this planet so in theory events similar to this could happen seven times."

Rika was getting impatient. "Will you just get on with the damn story?"

Adman reluctantly agreed. "Ok. I'm just saying that unless you take that into account you'll never believe the next part. I didn't actually kill my parents. I wasn't around when they died, but because I called them up they're dead. My father and mother were driving home; an ambulance was on its way to me, when they stopped at a light. Somebody decided they wanted his Lexus. While he was stopped they opened his car door and shot him point blank."

Rika stopped the story. "Bullshit! Impossible. There's no way that could all happen. I mean that's just chance. There's no way you could kill your grandfather the same night your dad gets murdered."

Adman rubbed his eyes; annoyed and trying to get through the story as quickly as possible. "Yeah, you're right. It sounds like bullshit. If I hadn't lived it I wouldn't have believed it either. Can I please continue?"

Rika nodded.

Adman continued. "So my father died instantly, but my mom didn't. The guy shot her in the stomach and pushed her out of the car. She didn't die immediately though. She crawled a few blocks in search of help. Some guy, I never met him, came along and tried to give her a ride to the hospital. She died in his car on the way."

Rika felt herself believing Adman's impossible story. She saw something that she couldn't believe. She reached over to Adman. He moved away, but she quickly grabbed his sunglasses and pulled them away. Her suspicions were right. "You're crying!"

Adman grabbed his glasses back and snapped at her, "Hey fuck off! It's a sad story."

He put on his glasses and wiped his eyes. "My grandfather was an abusive bastard and my dad wasn't always a good guy, but my mom… She didn't deserve to die. And if I hadn't made the call to them she might still be alive."

Rika couldn't help but say, "I'm so sorry."

Adman nodded. "Renamon was there to help. My Renamon. He was all I had left. When they started putting the pieces together he wanted to fight, but I couldn't let him. Luckily a group had taken notice of a boy with a Digimon. Very shifty. They saw an opportunity. All this actually led to my first job. One hell of a job too... But that's for another time."

Rika wanted to hear more. "Come on. You can't end it like that. Tell me more."

Adman grinned. "Another time perhaps."

Rika watched the man get up. She pressed the matter. "Will you at least tell me what you did?"

Adman gave her a riddle instead. "What do Abraham Lincoln, Franz Ferdinand, Mohandas Gandhi, and Julius Caesar have in common?"

Rika pondered the idea. "I don't know. So you won't tell me what these guys trained you as?"

Adman smirked as he walked away. "I just did."

* * *

><p>Adman walked along a trail, following Rika, and thought how one simple action could have changed his life. If he'd just avoided calling them. If he hadn't decided to prank the old man. He would still have his parents and his arm would still be human, but then he wouldn't be strong enough to save his friends. Strange how fate forces you into the roll you need to be in. He took a long gulp from his cup and it made him feel better.<p>

Rika called back, "Hey either take it easy on that or give me your keys so I can drive myself home."

Adman continued to drink until the straw gave the sound that indicated he'd hit the bottom. He shook it and replied, "I think that won't be a problem. So you'll keep your end of the bargain now, right? I have some crazy news to propose and I need your support."

"Like what", she called back.

Adman gave away the game, "I'm going to propose we all go to the Digital world. There's a matter that needs us to leave this place."

"Can't you deal with it?"

"Don't act like you don't want to go. You want to see Renamon and I need you guys to come with. It seems like a win-win to me. It's been a long time since you've been there. Are you holding out hope that some better opportunity is going to fall into your lap? I hate to say it, but I'm the best chance you've got."

Rika frowned. "I'll support you, but you need a good reason."

"Believe me, I have one."

Rika groaned, "Can we change the subject?"

"Sure. How the hell did you become a ballerina? Did you lose a bet or something?"

Rika looked back to him in surprise. "Did you already talk to Ryo? No? Well talk to him. He'll let you know. It's kind of stupid actually."

"Doubtlessly. I can't wait for one of you to explain it to me. So anything you want to know. My shoe size? What I've done over the years? New trophies I've added to my wall?"

Rika smiled. She remembered Shadowmon's conversation and decided to tease the man, "Did you miss me?"

Adman surprised her. "Every day. I missed you. I missed everyone, really. I thought of coming back here for a very long time. Just to say hello. See how everything is going. I just didn't want to involve myself and screw up your lives. Guess it happened even while I was gone. I should have come back sooner. I could have helped Jeri. Could have done something for Mako. Maybe help your grandmother."

Rika sighed. She said in pure sincerity, "Some things can't be helped. You can't save everyone. Nobody expects you to save the whole world. Even Takato accepted his limitations. Jeri would have done what she did whether you were here or not. Mako and my grandma couldn't be helped. You can't carry the weight of the world on just your shoulders."

Adman looked at his empty cup. He was trying not to look to her. "But it helps to try. To feel like I'm doing everything I can. You all deserve so much more than what you got. This world really gave you guys the shaft. I mean I could understand it if it were me, but you guys didn't deserve what you got. I can do what I can to help."

Rika just shook her head.

Adman tilted his. "What?"

She began walking up some stone steps. "I think I liked you better when you were mean."

Adman sat down on one of the steps to take a breather. "Where are we going anyway?"

Rika got to the top of the steps and turned around. "Here. I wanted to show you this. Don't tell me you're tired."

Adman got up and walked up the steps; complaining as he did. "I'm intoxicated. Cut me some slack. We aren't known for cardio. That and you've dragged me halfway across this park… What is this?"

Rika dragged him up a stone walkway to a little cement building. The building was a building no more, but a giant cement block. The structure had once been Guilmon's home. Carved into it was a type of artificial plaque dedicated to the Tamers:

_Takato Matsuki and Guilmon_

_ Henry Wong and Terriermon_

_ Rika Nonaka and Renamon_

_ Jeri Katou and Leomon_

_ Ryo Akiyama and Cyberdramon_

_ Kazu Shioda and Guardromon_

_ Kenta Kitagawa and MarineAngemon_

_ Suzie Wong and Lopmon_

_ Ai and Mako Maeda and Impmon_

_ In commemoration of those brave souls who fought to save humanity._

Adman crouched down and ran his fingers over the rough etchings. "Who did this?"

Rika shrugged her shoulders. "Nobody knows. Probably Kazu, but nobody will admit to it. I like to think it was some fan who wanted to make sure that this spot's magic wasn't forgotten. Yamaki swears that the digital portal under here must be gone by now, but I still believe otherwise."

Adman disagreed. "The magic seems to be fading from this world. Without the Digimon this land has become dark and unforgiving."

Rika patted him on the shoulder. "I don't know about that. And, hey look, they forgot a name."

Adman looked back at the scrawling and counted. "No, there's ten. It's right."

Rika crouched next to him. "I was talking about you."

Adman shook his head. "No. I'm a ghost. I need no commemoration. No honors. My work is enough to keep me going."

Rika sat with her back to the wall. "That's not good enough for me. You fought the D-reaper in the Digital world, right? You fought for this world just like us. You deserve some credit."

Adman sat down again, fearing his balance would go. "So did countless Digimon who fought and died. So did many soldiers who never got to come home to their wives. The people of Hypnos were equally responsible for saving the planet and they don't get a plaque. We all played our part. No, this is fine. You guys deserve this. I only wish it could be better."

Adman took Rika home. He sat on the hood of his car and watched her go up her stairs. Right before she went in he slapped his forehead, realization setting in, and called up to her. "I'm such a bonehead sometimes! I'm having trouble finding Kazu and Ryo. Any ideas?"

Rika didn't care if she saw either of those two ever again. "I don't know about Kazu, but Ryo shouldn't be too hard to find. He's a big shot movie star now. He's gone political lately with hopes of being in the House of Councillors when he turns twenty five."

Somehow that didn't surprise Adman. "When I call you be sure to show up. Remember we have a deal. I've honored my half in advance this time. Until then sleep well."

* * *

><p>It was well past noon when Rika went into her apartment and sat down on her bed. She sheathed her katana and set it in its normal spot. Then she called up her mother. "Hey mom, I have a riddle for you."<p>

Rumiko replied. "You should really ask your grandma about these things. I'm no good at them."

Rika asked anyway. "What do Julius Caesar, Abraham Lincoln, Franz Ferdinand… what was the last one? Mohandas Gandhi! What do those four have in common?"

Rumiko replied, "I don't know the last two, but the first two were leaders of countries. Actually I think they all were."

Rika knew that. She also doubted that Adman had been trained to be a statesman. "Anything else?"

Rumiko thought about it. "Well they were both murdered. Different ways I think though."

Rika said goodbye and shut the phone. Her mother was on to something. She looked through her contacts in her phone. She had Kenta's bookstore on it. It had been years since she'd called him, but he'd been knowledgeable most of the times she called. It was him or Henry and since Henry wasn't surrounded by books 24/7 she went with Kenta.

When Kenta picked up Rika told him it was her.

He replied, "Uh, hi Rika. Is this about the meeting? Adman didn't give me a time."

"What? No. I need information. What do Julius Caesar, Franz Ferdinand, Abraham Lincoln and Mohandas Gandhi all have in common."

Kenta didn't need to reference a book. He knew the answer. "That one's easy. They all died by assassination."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Gandhi was shot while on a walk, Lincoln was shot while attending a theater, Caesar was stabbed to death, and Franz Ferdinand was shot while he was in an open car. He's actually considered to be the reason World War I started. You see…"

Rika had heard enough. "Thanks Kenta. Bye."

She shut the phone. What do Franz Ferdinand, Abraham Lincoln, Julius Caesar, and Mohandas Gandhi have in common? They were all assassinated.

'_So you won't tell me what these guys trained you as?'_

'_I just did'._

Rika looked at the sword by her dresser with new meaning now. Suddenly getting that as a gift from Adman made more sense. "No way…"


	24. Chapter 24: Ryo and Kazu

_Disclaimer: This work is for purely entertainment purposes and is not for profit. I do not own Digimon or any characters previously seen in Digimon. If anyone who does own Digimon sees this I am more than willing to help with the next season. Enjoy._

**Chapter Twenty-Four: Ryo and Kazu**

Ryo Akiyama was currently busy falling from a ten story building while firing automatic rifles. Well the building was actually only about two stories and there was a cushion underneath. Also the rifles were plastic props, but they looked realistic. He landed as the stunt guy had told him to and dusted himself off. He was gritty from the makeup, but overall he still had the same perfect look.

He waited for someone to yell cut and then asked, "How was that?"

"That's a rap, Mr. Akiyama. Go grab a sandwich. We're breaking for lunch."

Ryo declined the offer. "First things first. I can't just leave the adoring public hanging. I've got to say hello."

"Yeah, go say hi. You need security?"

Ryo never did. "No thanks. The crowd's normally pretty well behaved. I'll let you guys know if I need help."

"Yeah you be careful. Those screaming girls can be a hassle."

Ryo walked to the edge of a felt rope that was sectioning off the set from the rest of the world. Fans had lined up in droves to get his autograph. Behind the fans were numerous reporters. A young, charismatic, movie star, with aspirations for politics was something that attracted attention, so reporters ask him about his opinions on global warming, the world economy and the price of gas. Stuff like that. He answered while subconsciously signing autographs.

Then a man with no camera or pen asked, "Hey Mr. Akiyama. What is your position on Digimon?"

Ryo stopped for a second and looked up. He recognized the man in black immediately, but he played along. "Well I, better than most, can say that Digimon can be a double edged sword. They can be humanities best friend and worst nightmare depending on various circumstances."

Adman continued, "If elected to the House of Councillors do you plan on attempting to remove the ban on digital life?"

Ryo smiled one of his picture perfect pretty-boy smiles. "I can't say that, seeing as that is a global agreement at this time, but I can say personally that the ban seems harsh and unfair. Humanity should at least invest in the time to try and branch the divide with our digital brethren."

Adman smiled. "And why do you think it hasn't been lifted so far?"

Ryo signed the last autograph and tossed the pen out. "Bigotry maybe. Bad misconceptions about Digimon being monsters. Policy-wise the biggest reason is because of the fabric weakening. If we let one in then all Digimon could get in. There's no way for the government to regulate new cross-world visitors, and some can be dangerous; very dangerous."

Adman liked this kid more and more. He definitely had what it took to be a government big wig. He was smooth where it counts and honest enough to be an outsider.

Then the dark warrior baited the movie star. "So tell me, what would the reaction be if Digimon no longer created a disruption in the fabric between the two worlds?"

Ryo paused for just a second as he got what Adman was getting at, but the cameras were still on him and he had to say something. "Then I think the rules that govern digital life would have to be reevaluated. Thank you, gentlemen. No further questions please."

Ryo watched as the crowd dispersed, and when it was just Adman he slipped under the rope. "So what brings you back?"

Adman took his sunglasses out of his pocket and put them on dramatically. "Hot women, asses to kick, and two worlds to save. You know. The kind of stuff those assholes behind you try to recreate."

Ryo laughed. "So what you said, is it true? Have you discovered a way that the Digimon can survive in this world without breaking the barrier?"

Adman looked left and right suspiciously, checking to make sure nobody was around. "There haven't been any new Digimon sightings in a while have there?"

Ryo got the drift. He whispered, "No. Why?"

Shadowmon appeared next to the movie star. "Because there should be a breach with me here."

Ryo put his arm over the back of his head and chuckled. "So you finally did figure out a way! Wait a minute. That's Shadowmon? Your Digimon, right? He wasn't sent back with the other partner Digimon. He never left!"

Adman waited for Ryo to come to the right conclusion.

Finally Ryo exclaimed, "He's been here all this time and the rifts haven't been opening up. You had the solution all these years and you kept it to yourself!"

Adman smiled harmlessly as Shadowmon disappeared. "It's not like I was hording it. I just wasn't ready to reproduce the results yet."

Ryo tried to hide how upset he was. "Why not?"

Adman flexed his right arm. It made the glove tight. "The same procedure that would allow your Digimon to live here without causing a rift was also what fucked up my arm. I wanted to make sure that a similar accident couldn't happen twice."

Ryo understood. "That makes sense. So are you ready yet?"

Adman replied honestly, "No, but we've run out of time. I need to accelerate my schedule. Can you meet with me and the others?"

Ryo nodded without even having to think about it. "Of course. Just give me a time and place."

"The Katou dinner in West Shinjuku. I think you know the place. Tomorrow at eleven at night."

Ryo nodded and started to walk away. "I'll go pencil it in on my PDA."

Adman stopped him. "Hold on just one second. There's another matter that you and I need to discuss. Ms. Nonaka and I had a little discussion the other day. I wanted to know how the hell she became a ballerina and all she would say is 'talk to Ryo'. So I'm talking to you. Explain."

Ryo grabbed his PDA from a table and began penciling in the date. "Is she still blaming me for that? I guess it is my fault."

"So what happened?"

Ryo looked back to his PDA. "I ,uh, beat her again. In Digimon cards. We had regular rematches for a few years, but she never won. I wanted to stop playing, but Rika wouldn't give up until she beat me. So I finally raised the stakes. I bet her that if I beat her again she would have to do whatever I wanted."

Adman raised an eyebrow. "And your first suggestion was 'dance in a tutu'? I would have gone somewhere along the lines of 'wrestle these women in the mud'."

Ryo grinned sheepishly. "She'd never do anything like that. Anyway, I won and I told her she had to take ballet lessons. Who was I to know she'd like it. She explained it to me once. Something about her focus and discipline. I just don't think she thought she could do it and that made it a challenge. She won't turn down a challenge."

Adman pushed his glasses further up. "I'll keep that in mind. It's surprising you two aren't in touch more. I would have thought you'd be dating her at this point though. What's the matter? You become a big shot movie guy and all the sudden one woman doesn't hold the same appeal as dozens of more willing floozies?"

Ryo flat out denied the idea. "It's not that. I tried, but she'd never go out with me."

Adman grinned devilishly. "Too bad. I guess I'm winning. Yep. Had breakfast with her just the other day. And that's after being gone for the better part of a decade. I guess I just have that certain charm."

Ryo countered with, "Did she agree to a date, or was she just humoring you?"

Adman deflated. "Probably the second one. I'm just pulling your leg, man. I wouldn't do that to you. After all, you called dibs."

Ryo was confused. "Dibs?"

"Yeah. Remember? Back at Rika's birthday party? I told Takato that if he didn't make a move on Jeri I'd call dibs on her. And then you said you called dibs on Rika. You have first dibs. I have to honor that. It's the right thing to do."

Ryo burst out laughing. "How the hell do you remember that? No, I gave up a long time ago. You think I'm still trying?"

Adman shrugged. "I've been gone, man. I'm just trying to fill in the blanks. You don't seem like the quitter type."

"I'm not. Just practical. I can only get shot down so many times before I get the point."

Adman rubbed his beard in thought. "Some mistakes are worth making twice. So you're withdrawing your dibs? Because I think you were the only person who she mentioned. I'd hate to throw that kind of potential away if I were you."

Ryo sat down in a chair and opened a water. "I'm not worried about it. I'll see her tomorrow, right? Whatever happens happens. Maybe we hit it off, maybe not. Either way it'll be good to see her."

Adman nodded. "Fair enough. Good hunting. I should warn you that the last person who hurt a female friend of mine is not doing well. Don't hurt her."

Ryo tossed Adman a water. "Likewise."

The dark Tamer caught it and opened it. "One more thing. I'm still trying to find Kazu. Any idea where I should look?"

Ryo did. He told Adman with some disappointment, "As a matter of fact I do know where he is. I feel kind of bad about him. You should have asked Takato first. Kazu's in prison. I think he was stealing electronics, something like that. Don't know why. He's currently serving a three year sentence. I normally wouldn't know, but he sent me a letter asking to post his bail. He doesn't know there's no bail. Poor guy."

Adman shook his finger at the man. "And you didn't hire the best lawyer to get him out? Some friend you are. Now I have to get him. See you tomorrow."

Ryo let the man in black walk away. Kazu would have thought of something clever to say. Oh well. Adman would see that soon enough.

* * *

><p>It was the day of the meeting and Kazu was in his cell tying a pack of cigarettes to a mouse. He looped some string he had pulled from his socks around the package and set the rat outside his cell. "Now go. Go deliver those to Freddy. Go on, little guy."<p>

Kazu watched as the little mouse scurried down the hall towards Freddy's cell. The mouse went down the cell block almost completely unnoticed. Then in took a right and went through a crack in the wall with Kazu's only pack of smokes.

He kicked the cell doors. "Little rat bastard stole my smokes."

From down the cell block a baritone voice called out threateningly, "Hey Shioda, you got my smokes?"

Kazu bit his tongue. He was going to die. Freddy was six foot four and could bench-press seven hundred pounds. Kazu had just failed to deliver his protection money on time. He was so screwed. He leapt into his small bed and pretended to snore, knowing the ruse wouldn't save him. He tried anyway. In a few minutes the cell doors would open for physical activity and he would be massacred. Why didn't he try carrier pigeon? Then there was a familiar buzz on the cell block.

His door opened up and a guard stepped inside the cell. "Hey Shioda, Someone's here to see you."

Kazu nearly skipped from his cell. Someone out there had just saved his ass. Some all-powerful force was looking out for him. He owed that force a pack of smokes.

As it turned out the all-powerful being was wearing black and tapping impatiently on the bullet proof glass that separated Kazu from the outside world.

Kazu picked up the ugly yellow phone, a smile going from ear to ear. "What are you doing here?"

Adman chuckled. "It surprises me too. To be honest I always thought it'd be you guys visiting me behind bars. Funny how the world works."

Kazu was appreciative. "You saved my life, man. Say you wouldn't happen to have a smoke would you?"

Adman replied no, "Sorry. I don't smoke."

Kazu dismissed the idea. "Yeah. Me neither, but they're like gold in here."

Adman replied cleverly, "Yeah well you know what's like gold out here?"

"What?"

"Gold, and I got some."

Kazu rubbed his hands together vigorously. He had a new guardian angel and he was a bearded fellow in a black leather jacket. "So are you getting me out of here?"

Adman bargained with the man. "You know it, but only if you agree to come with me to see the rest of the Tamers. I'm getting the group back together and I need someone with your talents."

Kazu acted casual as he flexed his right bicep. There wasn't much to flex. "Oh yeah. They call on me for the muscle every time. So when am I leaving, because I got a date with another guy in black who likes scythes if it isn't soon."

Adman checked to make sure security was looking the other way. Shadowmon had gotten the cameras already, and he'd signed in with fake identification, but there was still the physical security. "Stand up and stand in the black circle."

Kazu looked to his left. Sure enough there was a black circle just sitting there. He hadn't noticed it before, but he was willing to humor Adman so long as he posted bail.

Kazu put his ear back to the phone. "So when are we leaving?"

Adman winked at the man deviously. "Now."

Kazu vanished, sucked up by Shadowmon's shadow powers. Adman casually strutted out of the police station, his shadow in tow, while the jailers were left to slowly piece together what had happened. Adman sped away in his convertible with the last member of his list checked off. He had everyone. Tonight was the night too. It was time to get together.


	25. Chapter 25: Digital Vacation

_Disclaimer: This work is for purely entertainment purposes and is not for profit. I do not own Digimon or any characters previously seen in Digimon. If anyone who does own Digimon sees this I am more than willing to help with the next season. Enjoy._

**Chapter Twenty-Five: Digital Vacation **

Takato was sitting in a booth by Jeri in her diner. The two were sipping a milkshake together with two straws in one beverage and giggling like the young kids they felt like again. Jeri wiped some whipped cream from Takato's lip and he thanked her for it. The two held hands and were heedless to all of their friends around them. Rika was at the bar trying to avoid feeling awkward around the two, and checking her watch. She was waiting for Adman to walk through the door. He had called them all up an hour ago, and told everyone to meet up in Jeri's diner.

Ai was sitting with Henry and Suzie. Henry felt uncomfortable next to the two teenage girls who went on about this and that. None of it interested him in the slightest, but he felt the responsibility to keep his sister company for the time being. Kenta was sitting behind him; his nose in a paperback. He turned and noticed Henry.

Henry looked desperate for an out so Kenta talked to him. "So how have things been for you, Henry?"

Henry was relieved to have someone to talk to. "Oh not too bad. I wish Adman would show up. He makes these arrangements and then he's the last one to show."

Kenta laughed with Henry. "Yeah. I think he does it to appear all dramatic. Like he has to make some batman style entrance whenever he walks into a room."

Kenta began pantomiming their friend as the caped crusader. "I am vengeance. I am the night. I am going to burst through a window to get in just because that seems coolest."

Henry and Kenta laughed together.

Then the serious question popped into Kenta's head. "So what do you think the meeting is all about?"

Henry looked at Suzie to make sure she wasn't listening in. He didn't want to get her hopes up should she be eavesdropping. Then he turned around to Kenta again and whispered, "Isn't it obvious? All the Tamers are back in one room. The last time he did that he wanted to take us to see our Digimon. I'm guessing that's the plan again."

Kenta was about to say something excitedly, but Henry motioned for him to shush and then tilted his head in his sister's direction. Kenta got it and dropped the subject. He returned to his paperback, but was unable to concentrate on it any further after the idea of seeing MarineAngemon again sunk in. Henry appreciated his silence. Kenta always was the perceptive one.

* * *

><p>The door jingled as it was opened and Rika turned to it, trying to contain her excitement for the events of the night. She didn't have to try too hard when she saw that it was Ryo who had walked in. Rika thought that Ryo was the eleventh hour ranger of the group. He was always useful, but he had come in at the last few days of their journey. Sure he was strong and talented and perfect in almost every way. Sure he always knew the right thing to say and those movie star good looks could melt butter in the fridge, but he was just so annoying to her. Perfection was obnoxious. She had given up on it when she realized being perfect only made you an egotistical ass. Ryo was an ass in her mind, but he had somehow managed to be perfect without even trying. She hated that. Everyone else had issues. Even Adman. Boy did he have issues. Not Ryo though. His conscience was as clean as the tools in Henry's doctor bag. Perhaps her hatred of him was due to the fact that he seemed to be just slightly better than her at everything she appreciated. She had been the Digimon queen in her card game. He upended her and became the Digimon king. She was a famous dancer. He made millions off of his crummy movies. Everything in his life was just too damn perfect. The fact that he had asked her out was the only comfort she had. The only edge Rika Nonaka had over Ryo the perfect. He had the hots for her and she loved it. She had a weapon against him.<p>

Ryo was greeted by all the others. Takato and Jeri just raised their hands in acknowledgement of the newcomer before returning to gaze into each other's eyes. Rika thought the display was sickening, but she did like how they unconsciously blew off Ryo. Henry gave the man a nod which Ryo returned. Kenta closed up his book and said hello before trying to remember what page he was on. Then Ryo looked at Rika. She had been sitting on a stool that could be seen from the front door. The girl could have just swung around and said hello, but she didn't. She was utterly ignoring him and he kinda liked that. Rika had always been a hard to get kind of girl. Still she had looked to the door when he opened it, but turned away when she saw it was him. She could have simply said hello and turned back, thus drawing attention from herself, but instead she blatantly gave him the cold shoulder. Ryo smiled. If she was so consumed by her dislike for him then that meant she was thinking about him regularly. He could accept, and even enjoy, that, since one day he knew her mind would be filled with happy thoughts of him. At least that was the best case scenario.

Then Ryo noticed Takato and Jeri sipping a drink together and all thoughts of Rika were left behind for the moment. "Gee. Nobody told me that you two were together again."

Takato broke from his trance and turned around. "Long story. Good news is now I can actually afford to take her out regularly without having to get a loan."

Jeri giggled.

Takato turned back to her. "What? You're worth it."

Jeri tried covering her smile. "I just didn't think we'd announce it so soon."

Rika spun around on her stool, unable to avoid such an obvious opportunity. "Guys, you don't need to announce a thing. JAXA called and said they picked it up on their satellites!"

Ryo turned to the red head who silently cursed, realizing she had drawn attention to herself. "Rika Nonaka. You haven't changed a bit. Always with a snarky comment. I thought Kazu was always the one-liner guy though."

Rika tried to keep up her temper while defusing the situation. "Yeah well he isn't here. Someone has to take up the responsibility."

Ryo sat next to her. "Good old Rika. Always carrying everyone else's responsibilities for them. You really are one in a million."

Rika knew he was trying to be clever, but he sucked at sarcasm. It was too mean for him. She delivered her retort. "I'm glad you think so. Is that a new pickup line or did you just look up generic ways to ask a girl out?"

Ryo leaned back in his cool manner. "Normally I don't use lines. I just try to be nice and I try to be honest. People respect that. Like this. Can I buy you a beer?"

Rika turned away completely. "No way. I don't drink, and even if I did I wouldn't need your cruddy money. Oh and the reason the nice guy routine works so often is because you're in the movies. All you have to do is say hi and these women desperate for an in to the big time lift up their skirts to you."

Henry called over, "Hey we have younger people here, Rika. Watch what you say."

Ryo thought fondly of all the women Rika spoke of. He liked the generosity of those ladies, but there was only one girl he had ever really wanted. "That was a cruel one, even for you. I'm just trying to be nice. I'm sure there are guys lining up to date a nimble ballerina like yourself."

Rika thought back to the events a few nights ago when multiple men had tried to rape her in the alley by her car. Then she thought of Adman. Plenty of men lining up for the physical shit, even when she wasn't taking offers, but when it came to anything beyond that the options became really blurred. What really was the other side? One option was a pompous ass with too much perfect per square inch and another was an emotional child with few restraints and a really sketchy past. She counted Adman simply because despite his objections he seemed to favor her over all of them. He was subconsciously competing and she knew it.

Rika turned back around and lied to Ryo's face. "Lots, but I'm a really choosy type of girl. I only take the best of men in any serious relationship."

Even Rika had trouble with that lie. Ryo was the human equivalent of a purebred prize winning dog. He was genetically perfect and seemed to have a superior set of skills. Rika laughed internally that Ryo, like all purebreds, was probably the result of generations of genetic inbreeding.

A car pulled up outside the dinner and everyone knew that Adman had finally arrived. Rika looked at the man that walked through the door. If Ryo was the purebred with the pedigree then Adman was definitely the mutt of the two. When he was young he had been clean cut, but the years had forced him to give up on most of the superficial in exchange for the more useful physical attributes. His hair was now longer and unkempt. His beard was short and lacked any real pattern. Rika thought it simply grew that way and he hadn't bothered to shave it yet. His body had gotten taller, broader and stronger. He was almost the picture of some great Greek athlete competing in the first Olympic Games. The idea of men wrestling naked was not normally appealing to Rika, but the thought of Adman utterly destroying Ryo in such a manner was not unpleasant. As far as mutations went Adman's arm was the one sign of deformity. Even that was mutt-like. Mutts were the combination of multiple different breeds into something, often times, more stable and less deformed than the purebred counterpart. While Adman was more deformed and less stable than Ryo his arm was the best of both worlds. He had the strength, speed and endurance of a Digimon, while still remaining basically human. She wondered why after all these years he still covered up the one thing that made him unique with that stupid glove.

Adman opened the door and opened his arms wide to greet everyone. "My friends, its been too long!"

Rika expected Adman to come sit with her, bother her like he normally did, but he moved past her and sat with Kenta.

"Kenta, my dear friend," Adman said warmly, "I want to thank you for agreeing to meet me tonight. You were, by far, the easiest of the group to convince. I mean you wouldn't believe the struggle it was to get some people to come."

He patted Kenta on the shoulder. "I've got a little surprise for you. An old friend."

Ryo felt a bad vibe. "Oh no. Tell me you didn't."

Kazu shot from a shadow on the floor and fell on the ground in front of everyone. He still had his prison suit on. Takato and Henry picked him up. He was shaking. He turned around to Adman. "What the HELL was THAT?"

Adman explained, "Shadowmon sucked you into his dimension. It's a trip, I know, but perfectly safe I assure you. It's my preferred mode of travel."

Takato stopped Adman. "Please tell me you snagged him from a costume party."

Adman moved Kazu into the spot with Kenta as he explained, "Two things. First, no I didn't. He's an escaped felon. I have to take blame for that. Credit, some might say."

Takato stopped him, "Jeez..! Come on! Don't do this to me. You know what I have to do…"

Adman spoke quickly, "But, hey, we caught him. See. He's here; you're a cop. Congratulations Takato, you busted him. In the meantime let's have some dinner. In fact," Adman spoke louder, "First I want to thank Jeri and the Katou family for allowing our gathering here tonight. Thanks. Second I need to say that dinner and drinks are on me tonight! Somebody give Kazu a drink. He's been locked away and he needs a beverage."

Takato pulled Adman aside. "You can't do this. It's illegal. Not just a little illegal either. This is insanely illegal. We could all be arrested just for keeping him here."

Adman drew the blinds at the window he was closest to. "I had a get out of jail free card. Everything is going to be alright. Shadowmon is patrolling the area and the blinds are going down now. Nobody will know, you'll get to see your friend, and if I haven't convinced you by the end of the night you can take him back into custody. Ok?"

Takato looked at Kazu. Kazu was an old friend of his; they went way back.

Kazu looked at Takato with big eyes. "You wouldn't lock up your old friend, would you Takato?"

Takato sighed and then said sternly to Adman, "You have until the end of dinner to have convinced me. This needs to be good."

Adman celebrated and shook his hand. "Thanks for this. Now if you'll excuse me I need to make my rounds. There are people I want to say hello to before I begin."

* * *

><p>Takato sat down next to Jeri and put his hat on the table. "I am going to lose my job, Jeri. I can't believe it, but that's how this is going to end. You watch."<p>

Jeri reassured Takato. "That won't happen. Adman wouldn't let it. I'm sure that he has a good reason for bringing Kazu here."

Takato looked to Adman and then to Jeri. "I hope so. Hey what's he doing talking with Ai and Suzie?"

Jeri gauged the serious look on Adman's face. "My guess is he's offering Ai his condolences for Mako."

"Yeah, you're probably right. Have you noticed he's armed too? He's got his sword and everything. I want you to promise me that if he loses it you'll get out of here as fast as you can."

Jeri was certain. "That won't happen. Take a load off your mind. Try talking to Henry or something. How long has it been since you two had a meal together?"

"Too long," Takato admitted. He got up to talk to Henry

* * *

><p>Ryo was talking with Rika, Rika trying to ignore him, when Suzie approached him. She was apparently a fan of his movies. Rika thanked the stars for a distraction. Ryo was just signing an autograph for the girl when Adman finally made his way to the group.<p>

He seemed in good spirits when he asked, "Hey Rika is this guy giving you a hard time? I can take him out back and rough him up a little if you like."

Rika shot Ryo a look and then replied sarcastically, "Would you? That would be great."

Adman cracked his knuckles before Rika grabbed his arm. "I was kidding! Don't hit Ryo."

The dark Tamer replied, "So was I. I just wanted to see how far you'd let me take it. I'd never hit Ryo; it'd ruin his career. One punch to the face and goodbye good looks."

Ryo replied, "I don't think my career is that shallow."

Adman patted him on the shoulder. "Someone had to tell you otherwise. Oh well. So I suppose I should tell everyone what's going on."

Ryo whistled and the room went quiet. "Hey listen up. I know we're all glad to be back together, but Adman did call us here for a reason. Lets be quiet and hear what it is." He motioned to Adman. "All yours."

Adman straightened his jacket and sat down. "Alright. No pressure. Good evening everybody. I supposed you're wondering why I brought you all here."

Takato mumbled. "You can bet on that." He looked wiped out already.

Adman summoned him. "Takato, Henry, can you two come here for a second? I need to show you something."

Takato and Henry approached the dark Tamer as he took his pack from his shoulders. Rika was sitting next to Adman so that she could see. Ryo stood over her. Adman dug through his pack and pulled out a thick file.

Takato remembered the file. "This was on you the first night you were here. What's it all about?"

Adman set it down and opened the contents. He began setting aside groups of files. Each one had a picture attached. Each picture was of someone recently dead. As he set them down he grouped them. "The first one is Australia. Tasmania, to be precise. I read about his death early in the paper. It came as a surprise."

He set two more files down. "Moscow, Russia. Two deaths. These two were burned alive."

Adman set down another file. "Afghanistan, near Pakistan. One more down."

Henry picked up that file. "There's a lot of violence in that region. I don't see a connection between these deaths. They either died by fire or by a sharp edge of some kind, but that's it. Hundreds of miles separate the incidents. There's no other connecting factor besides fire or lacerations."

Adman continued. "Three in Holland. Two in Brazil."

Takato picked up the Brazilian files. "Did you just fax this one in, or what?"

Adman explained. "It was faxed in to me."

Henry looked at all the files. "Nine deaths; nine unrelated people; five countries. Why do we need to know this?"

Adman set his Digivice down on the table on top of one of the files. "This is the thread that connected them all. They were all Tamers."

This caught everyone's attention.

Kazu was happy for a moment. "There are more Tamers."

Adman cut him short. "There were. This pretty much covers it. There may be more in hiding, but as far as I know the remaining living Tamers are in this room."

It was a sobering moment.

Kazu sighed. "So when's the memorial service?"

Henry stopped him. "There's no mention of them being Tamers in these files."

Adman seemed unfazed by this. "They weren't well known for being Tamers. Well except for the Holland group. Holland has granted amnesty for Tamers. It isn't illegal there. That's why I was so surprised when they went down."

Takato objected. "So wait. Nobody knew about all these people being Tamers except you? And suddenly they wind up dead. I hate to tell you this, Adman, but you'd be the prime suspect."

Adman watched Takato's hand slowly go for his handgun. He drew faster and aimed it at Takato, "Let's keep it peaceful, Takato. We're just talking. Keep it in the holster."

Takato had his hands up.

Henry put his hand on Adman's arm. "Just put it down. We don't need this right now."

Takato accused Adman, "What's your alibi? How can we know it wasn't you? You kill people. You knew where these guys were. You always carry an edged weapon. I want answers."

Adman motioned to one of the files with his handgun. "Look at the file that got faxed to me. Check it out."

Takato looked at it again. "So?"

Adman told him. "Check the date."

Takato did. "Time of death puts their murders at around three days ago."

Adman growled. "I was here three days ago, Takato. You know that. Now I may be able to do many things, but I can't be two places at the same time! It isn't me. I'm not your enemy. I'm your friend."

Takato told him, "You're the one pointing the gun at me."

Adman looked at his weapon and set it on the table. "Feel better?"

Takato told him, "You have a sword, a magnum and a pocketknife on you too. Put them on the table."

Adman undid his sword from his belt and set it on the table. "You let a cop frisk you once and see what happens. He knows where you hide your weapons. Consider this an act of goodwill. Why don't you do the same? You're carrying too. Put it on the table and we can continue our discussion."

Takato began to complain. "What? But I.."

Jeri spoke up, "Takato, it's only fair. Put it down."

Takato sighed and put his gun on the table.

Adman chuckled. "Mutual disarmament. This is the only time you'll ever see it. A word of advice Takato: don't doubt me. If I wanted to kill you you'd be dead. As it is you're my friend and you happen to be more useful to me alive. I confess in dealing with this problem I am out of my depth."

Rika leaned over and picked up one of the files. "That's a rare moment of humility for you. You don't think you can out-assassin this assassin. I mean that is what we're dealing with, right? A Tamer assassin?"

Adman nodded. "I believe so. Someone or something is killing us. They leave no trace, but they're very powerful. The Brazil and Holland teams both had their Digimon still. Whatever could take them out is not to be trifled with. We're being knocked off systematically. If a team of three couldn't beat our opponent then realistically what chance do Shadowmon and I have?"

Henry looked at a burned body. "Or any of us, for that matter."

Adman motioned to him. "Then we're in agreement. We all accept that there's a threat against the Tamers that means to kill us and that none of us can deal with it alone."

Ryo had been silent the whole time. He finally spoke up, knowing what was coming, "What do you propose?"

Adman suggested casually, "A type of vacation."

Suzie perked up. "Vacation? Great! Where are we going?"

Adman clasped his hands together. "To the Digital world, boys and girls. Well, first we'll all have to make a short trip to a safe house I have in the city, but then we're off. Pack your bags ladies and gentlemen and remember you Digivices. The Tamers are back! We'll travel to the Digital world. I'll train you, we'll get your partners back, and then we will avenge our fallen brothers and sisters. The bastards who did this will pay a price for hunting down the Tamers! They will…" Adman had worked himself into a bloodlust.

Rika stopped him cold. "This is your old plan. You wanted to train us last time. The only difference is now you have an enemy. That's very convenient for you."

Adman tapped one of the photos on the table. "It has to be convenient for somebody. I don't think it's us though. The real difference is I was right. Back when I was here the first time I wanted to train Tamers so that nobody would try anything against us. Had these people been trained they might still be alive. If we had all been together I can guarantee their chances would have improved. As it is they're dead. You're all still alive though, and I can help you. We can beat back this new threat and become stronger in the process. Unless you have a better solution."

Takato spoke up. "I do. We can all go into police protection."

Adman laughed in Takato's face. "Police protection? Really, that's your big counterargument?"

Takato stood firm. "It's safe and legal. We can get help. Who's going to mess with the police?"

Kazu raised his hand. Adman pointed to him, "I have objections too, but I'll let Kazu talk. Kazu, your opinion."

Kazu's objection was simple. "I don't want to go back to prison."

Adman agreed. "I wouldn't either. Takato, I have killed people. Lots of people. People in this town, for god sakes! You think I'd get police protection? They'd electrocute me outright."

Ryo reminded Adman, "The death penalty is really rare here."

Adman retorted. "For me they'd make an exception. If they sent me back to my home state that'd be it for me too. Do you know what they do to people harboring Digimon, or opening digital portals, in Texas? Death penalty. And not by some sissy lethal injection either. They break out the firing squad for our kind. Don't ask me to turn to the state for protection."

Henry sighed. "I hate to say it, but since we're just throwing suggestions out there we could go to Yamaki for help."

Rika was first to object. "Pass. For all we know he's responsible."

Adman raised his hand on the matter. "Since we're shooting down bad ideas I need to point out that I, the biggest, toughest guy in the room, am A. afraid of what is coming, and B. have already broken into both places you guys have suggested as impenetrable forces of safety. Neither Hypnos nor Shinjuku PD is going to save us on this matter. If our foe can kill Digimon and get to their Tamers what hope do the cops have of stopping them? I hate to say it, people, but we're on our own. I have weapons, I have training, I have access to the Digital world, where your greatest allies are waiting somewhere. If you want to wait for this new force to take you then by all means. Here is the basic truth: we will stand together or we will die alone. It's up to you."

The dark Tamer began strapping his weapons to himself. He left his files on the counter for everyone to look at. It was time for him to go. He left money for the evening on the counter and headed for the door. "I won't force any of you to do anything you don't want to. I have left a copy of instructions on where to go on the side of the window here. Copy them down and do what you will. I am going to the digital world in two hours. Meet me at this address if you want to come. If you join me, your rent will be paid, your bills taken care of, and all of your assorted affairs will be dealt with. If I don't see you in two hours I'll have to believe you decided not to come. I want you all to come, but it's your choice. You can either come with me or hope you can survive alone against the assassin that is surely coming for us."

With that Adman opened the door to exit the diner.

Takato stopped him. "What about Kazu? You said if I wasn't convinced you'd take him back. Take him back."

Adman retorted, "You're convinced. If we leave him in his cell we'll find him dead one of these days. If you want that on your conscience then by all means take him back. I won't have his blood on my hands. Either way, he's your problem now."

Takato drew his gun from the counter and pointed it at the man's back. "Freeze, now! You're taking him back and we're straightening this mess out together!"

Adman was surprised at the commanding voice his friend had. He stood there for a moment trying to think of the right words. "One time, a long time ago, I told you that you weren't ready to kill a man. You still aren't there. That's why even though you don't like my idea, you'll follow it. Because putting him back in is the same as killing him. You won't shoot me either. Not yet. Maybe later." With that Adman slipped away into the night. The Tamers were left with a decision.


	26. Chapter 26: The Aye's Have it

_Disclaimer: This work is for purely entertainment purposes and is not for profit. I do not own Digimon or any characters previously seen in Digimon. If anyone who does own Digimon sees this I am more than willing to help with the next season. Enjoy._

**Chapter Twenty-Six: The Aye's Have it.**

For the longest time everyone just stood there wondering what to do. Kenta pulled a single sheet of computer paper from the front of the store window and read the instructions:

_Thank you for deciding to come. Please pack any personal items along with you, but no more than you can carry. Food and water will be supplied as well as anything else you desperately need. Your Digivices are a must. Write down instructions for my friend if your house needs special care. I will need a key for each of your private dwellings if you want them to be maintained. Franklin will only do what is instructed of him in this regard. Say goodbye to your parents and loved ones for the time being as you will probably not be back until the threat is dealt with. You are free to go whenever you want, but I urge you to complete my training and see this through to the end. I believe in all of you. Good luck._ Then there were instructions on how to get to Adman's warehouse.

Kenta passed it around. "What do you think? Should we go?"

Ryo voiced the idea that was on everyone's mind, "Can we really afford not to? I mean our options seem kind of limited."

Takato voiced his dissent, "That's if you trust Adman. I mean all we have is his word that these murders are Tamer related. I could get ahold of a bunch of murder files and make up all kinds of conspiracies. Like Rika said, this could just be a plan to get us to follow him."

Takato leaned against the bar, angry at Adman for putting them in the situation they were in and infuriated at himself for not stopping it all when he had the chance. Adman was a friend and Takato didn't want to shoot him, but it almost seemed like the man in black had been egging him on. He wasn't about to let go of that feeling either.

Rika chose her words carefully. "I trust Adman about as far as I can throw him, but if there's even a slim chance he's telling the truth wouldn't you want to avoid taking the risk? I mean what if there's something coming after us?"

Kazu spoke loud enough that the rest of the group focused on him, "Who cares if he's telling the truth or not. This could be a chance to see our partners again! We've been waiting a long time for this, guys. I say we go."

Takato shot Kazu down by saying, "You just don't want to go back in prison. You're going back and I'm going to straighten all this out. I get the feeling there's more to this story and I'm going to get the truth from Adman."

Kazu threw himself at Takato's knees and groveled, "Please don't make me go back to prison, chumly. I can't go back! They'll kill me and rape me. Hopefully in that order! I won't survive. I'm too pretty to go to jail!"

Rika couldn't help but laugh at the sorry sight that was Kazu. He used to have such an ego. Now he was groveling at Takato's feet.

Kenta stood up. "Don't take Kazu back, Takato. This might be his chance to start over. A chance for all of us. Don't just let it slip by."

Takato looked to the group. "You've all trusted me before. Will you at least listen to my idea? I vote we take Kazu back in."

Kazu interjected, "I hate this plan already. New plan. New plan!"

Takato continued. "That will put us in good standing with the police. Then I'm going to get a squad together, head down to Adman's warehouse, and arrest him. We'll drag him right to Yamaki's doorstep and have him tell Yamaki what he told us. We'll get the whole truth. Who knows? Maybe Yamaki will see we need help and help us get our partners back."

Rika rolled her eyes. "I thought we weren't going to trust Yamaki anymore. What do you think he'll do to Adman?"

Takato frowned. "I really don't care at this point."

Jeri held Takato's hand. "You don't mean that. He's our friend. He came here trying to help us. You can't do this to him."

Takato sighed. "I don't see any other option."

Ryo suddenly broke in, "I say we go. This is the chance we've been waiting for. A way to see our partners again. I know I'd give up everything to see Cyberdramon again. What about you guys?"

This was a strange occurrence. Takato was the default leader, but if there ever had been a second in command then Ryo was it. The fact that those two were on opposing sides was bizarre.

Ai had been quiet, but she spoke up after hearing Kenta, "I want to go too. I've never been. I want to see the world Impmon came from."

Takato voiced his disapproval, "I don't think we should go."

Suzie piped up, "I want to go. I want to see my Lopmon again. Henry, please say we can go."

Henry stood his ground. "I don't know, Suzie. I mean the Digital world is almost as bad as any threat. Then we have to consider whether Adman can get us there and back. Takato might have a point."

Henry had always been the voice of reason. "Well Jeri, we haven't heard from you yet."

Jeri squeezed Takato's arm nervously, "I uh, support Takato's decision."

Rika scowled at the girl. "Way to show some backbone, Jeri."

Jeri had been embarrassed. She didn't want to upset Takato, but she too wanted to go.

Henry turned his attention to Rika. "Well Rika. You're the last vote. So far it's four to four."

Kazu piped up indignantly, "Its five to three."

Henry looked back at his sister and then to Kazu. "I voted no and I'm casting my sister's vote for no."

Suzie pouted. "You can't do that. It's my vote and I say yes."

Henry countered, "You aren't old enough to vote. Neither is Ai, but I compromised. As your brother I cast your vote for no so there."

Suzie folded her arms tightly and sat away from her brother.

Takato looked to Rika. "So what's it gonna be, Rika. Do you think we should go or not?"

Rika hated being put on the spot like this. "I think Adman's a complete jerk at this point, but I think he's right. We all secretly want to go back to the Digital world. It's a second home to all of us that have been there. I'm not afraid, but I'd rather face anything new with Renamon than without her. So I vote yes."

Ryo gave her a big thumbs up.

Henry smiled slightly. "Well said, Rika. So the aye's have it. We're going to the Digital world I guess."

Takato stopped the celebration. "I'm sorry guys, but this is not a democracy. We have laws!"

This was a rare occurrence of Takato's anger bubbling up. It happened so sparingly that when it was shown at all his friends noted it. Takato had let Adman go, trusted him, and the dark Tamer had put them in a tight situation. Takato could deal with his own problems with Adman, but when his friends were threatened that was a whole new thing.

Takato calmed down and tried to explain things more softly. "I know we all want to go to the Digital world, but this is so wrong. We'd all be committing a huge crime if we followed Adman. He made the deal with Yamaki years ago to keep the Tamer reputation strong. We go through with this and we're all accomplices to Kazu's escape. That isn't the reputation we need. We need to get Kazu back and get Adman under control. I'm taking Kazu with me now and I'm getting Adman later tonight."

Kazu objected as Takato put handcuffs back on him. He was taken away as Takato walked out of the building.

As Takato walked out Kenta was heard saying, "Well that could have gone over better."

Rika turned to the others. "Well I'm going. I don't care what Takato does. Those of you that want to go should pack your bags. I wouldn't bet on Takato stopping Adman. See you there."

Ryo called after her, "Oh you'll see me. Definitely. If Adman has a way around the firewall I'm in."

Suzie begged her brother, "Can we go? Pleeease big brother!"

Henry was stern. "Absolutely not. You have school tomorrow. I have to get you home."

* * *

><p>Henry was driving Suzie back to her house at his parents.<p>

She pestered him, "So are we going?"

Henry sighed. "I don't think so. You heard Takato. He's bringing Adman down. We can't stop that."

The girl became obstinate. "Well I'm packing my stuff tonight. I'm going whether you want to or not."

Henry pulled over on the side of the street. "Then I suppose you'll be walking all the way home to pack. Go on. Hop out. My car; my rules."

Suzie was in a bad mood, but she opened up the car door and stepped out.

Henry couldn't believe it. She had called his bluff. He drove down the side of the road. "Get back in the car, Suzie. I'll drive you home."

She just kept on walking in the direction of her home. "No. I'm going home, I'm going to pack, and I'm going to the Digital world."

Henry hated that she had gotten the same stubborn will he had. "Suzie, get in the car."

She stopped, but refused to get in. "Why don't you want to go? Don't you miss Terriermon?"

Henry felt hurt by her even asking. "You know I do. I just can't have you going back there. It was really dangerous last time and with Adman I think it'll only be worse."

Suzie continued storming down the road. "I'm not getting into the car until you promise to come to the Digital world with me." She had upped the stakes. How could she bargain backwards?

Henry sighed. "You know what, fine. I will go, but we need to tell mom and dad. You tell me that you still want to go after you see the look on their faces."

* * *

><p>Kenta was packing several paperbacks into his backpack. He thought for a moment and then added toilet paper on top of all of his clothes.<p>

'_Always good to have some T.P. in the digital world in case of emergencies. Speaking of which_.'

He pulled a small medical kit from under the till in his store and put it in his bag.

'_Never know_.'

Then he packed away some emergency food, cookies mostly, and a water bottle. Both were very helpful in his last trek to the Digital world.

'_What else? Food, water, medical supplies, T.P., clothes, digivice? Ah. A toothbrush! Need to stay regular in old habits. Deodorant too.'_

Kenta was a sensible fellow. He tried to think of everything. He hadn't packed too much since he couldn't lift that much and the Digital world was a tough place to store things. All the sand and wind and heat.

'_Sunglasses!'_

He put in a pair and zipped up the bag.

'_Done and Done. Now to the meeting point.'_

He hoped Takato had been bluffing. Kenta really wanted to see MarineAngemon again. Somehow Kenta felt he was leaving stuff he needed behind. Maybe he would need a bigger bag?

* * *

><p>Ai wasn't sure what to pack. She had never been to the Digital world before. She had been too young the last time the group went. She packed food, water and clothing. She couldn't think of much else. Then it hit her. She packed an old harmonica that she had on her top shelf. Music always cheered everyone up. Then as she was putting away the rest of her stuff she spied something buried away in the far back of her closet. An old toy teddy bear with an arm that had to be reattached was basically on the bottom of an enormous pile of stuff. She hadn't played with it in years, but she somehow had to pack it; like it meant more to her than she thought. She and Mako had played with it long ago. Now he was gone, but his toys remained. She was resolute. She had to be strong for both of them. She clenched her Digivice and somehow it gave her strength. She could do this. She'd explore the Digital world with the others and get back Impmon.<p>

* * *

><p>Jeri watched as the others left. Her bags to the Digital world were pretty much already packed. She hadn't anticipated leaving for that place, but her bags were always packed as a threat to her former lover. She had always threatened to leave and never did, even when he beat her mercilessly. She pulled out her old Digivice from a secret lock box she had hidden under the floorboards of her room. She put it in her suitcase and then stared down into the box again. There was a strange hand puppet in the form of a beige dog with button eyes and two little arms inside the box. Both arms had been torn off and sown back on. One was from her little brother when he was two. The other was when that asshole of an ex had found her playing with it and ripped it. After that she kept everything she loved in a lockbox under the floorboards. She was glad she didn't have to do that anymore. Then the thought of Takato getting angry and she became unsure. She loved him, but he had a temper just like every other man.<p>

Jeri shook the image out of her mind and slipped the puppet over her right hand. Then she made the mouth move as she projected her childhood voice of the plaything back onto it, "Takato's a good guy, Jeri. Everything will be alright."

Then she packed the little puppet with the rest of her stuff. Now off to the Digital world.

* * *

><p>Rika Nonaka was driving home when she suddenly felt watched. She looked in her rear view mirror and nearly leapt out of her skin to see a man sitting in the back seat of her car. She turned quickly to see Adman materializing from a shadow on her back seat.<p>

The car swerved slightly as Rika jumped. "You asshole! Why can't you ever just show up like a normal person?"

Adman apologized. "Sorry. I didn't mean to scare you."

Rika spoke bitterly, "You didn't. You can't scare me. You just… surprised me. So what do you want?"

Adman frowned. "Whatever do you mean? Do I always need something from you? Maybe I just enjoy your company. Did you ever consider that?"

Rika remained silent while she drove.

Adman sighed. "So did everyone decide to come?"

Rika smiled victoriously. "There it is."

Adman countered. "You know having little faith in the good in people isn't a very positive trait."

Rika tried not looking at him. "Not everybody; just you. In fact I think the others would say I have too much faith in you. Anyway everyone wanted to go, but Takato put his foot down."

Adman tilted his head in that normal cocky manner. "Oh, and I suppose Takato speaks for everybody?"

Rika glared at him through the rearview mirror. "He might speak for the others, but he sure as hell doesn't speak for me."

"So then you'll come?"

She looked away, defeated. "I want you to know that you're an asshole."

Adman cut in. "Known it for years."

Rika continued, "But that I really want to see Renamon again. So whatever hoops I have to jump through to see her again I can handle. For the record, the others might think you're a complete asshole who is just out to mess with them, but I see through your little charade."

Adman smiled and carefully made his way up to the passenger seat by her while the car was still moving. "I know you do. I'm not surprised. Considering most of the people who used to know me think I'm dead and the people who know me now only see what I want them to, you are one of the few in my circle of trust. Aside from Shadowmon and Franklin not many know anything about me. Basically those two and you."

Rika scoffed. "So why do you try and have the others think you're a bastard when you aren't?"

Adman looked questioningly at her. "I actually was in the truest sense of the word, but what do you mean? You called me an asshole the moment I made my entrance."

She sighed. "I mean your words make you out to be this horrible, immoral guy, but your actions say otherwise. I see the way you treat Beelzemon, and Jeri, and even Takato. You love them. You treat me good too, even when I'm not so good to you."

Adman pulled a lever under the seat which allowed him to recline. "I don't want you all getting attached. People like me don't live very long. There's a very thin line between badass and corpse that I try not to cross almost every day. I don't want you guys weeping when I kick the bucket during one of my missions. Besides, who's to say it is not my words that are deceptive, but my actions?"

Rika had to watch the road, but the look on her face was restrained anger. "Because deceivers don't tell people they are deceiving them! Face it, you're a good guy and soon the others will see it."

Adman just closed his eyes. "We shall see."

Rika asked, "So these new assassins hunting us down; are they your old buddies?"

Adman opened his eyes. "I can't be certain who or what they are, but my guess is no on that one. There are approximately two or three assassins from the Bureau still alive. I got all the other ones. The U.S. government knows not to mess with me. If it is them then they'll be in for a surprise. Don't worry about that little detail right now. I have no evidence for who it might be so I'm just winging it."

Rika waited for more.

Adman closed his eyes again. "I don't know everything."

* * *

><p>Henry had taken Suzie home. He was explaining to his father what Adman had said to them.<p>

Janyu Wong was always fairly open-minded. "He really thinks there is something out there killing Tamers? Killing children?"

Henry nodded. "Yeah. Most of the Tamers are grown up now, but yeah, we're being hunted."

"And you believe him?"

Henry wasn't sure himself. "I don't know, dad. I hope he's wrong, but I can't be sure. I don't think he's lying to us."

Janyu looked to Suzie. She was in her room packing her things. Then he turned to Henry. "From what you've told me the Digital world is a dangerous place."

Henry agreed. "And Adman is a dangerous man, but he's on our side. He says he'll keep us safe until we can get to our Digimon."

Janyu spoke more softly. "You know going to the Digital world is very illegal, right. You'd lose your medical license."

Henry told his father, "You sound like I've already decided to go."

"Haven't you?"

"No," Henry said honestly. "I mean I want to go, but…"

Janyu cut off his son and spoke with an air of sadness. "To be honest, son, I'm surprised you're talking to me about this."

"What do you mean? You're my father. Who else would I talk to?"

"I just mean that I was the one who forced them all back."

"Dad… You can't blame yourself for that. You did what you had to do."

Janyu took a deep cleansing breath and told Henry, "I know. And now this is something that you have to do."

"Dad…"

"Henry, I know what I did to you was wrong. I see the hurt in your sister's eyes every day. I took something away from you that I had no right to take. No you two have an opportunity to get it back. I want you to take Suzie."

"Really?" Henry was in disbelief.

"Yes. If you go I can't keep her here now can I? For all I know the sky will rip open and drag her in if I don't let her go. You're my children. If you two are in danger then I need to do everything I can to keep you safe. You may be grown, but it's still my responsibility."

Henry was slowly accepting the idea of going. "I'll lose my medical license."

"You're a smart boy. You'll find a way to get it back. And even if you don't we'll figure something out. I'm very proud of you Henry. That has nothing to do with you being a doctor."

Suzie ran up to the two with a couple of bags. "Henry, I packed you a bag too. So can we go, daddy? Pleeease!"

Henry told her, "Suzie, stop that. He already said yes."

Suzie's eyes lit up. "So we're going?"

Henry nodded. "I guess we are."

Suzie remembered something. "I couldn't find your Digivice. We'll need to stop at your place and get it."

Henry told her. "No we won't. It's in my glove box in the car. I never go too far without it. Dad, I'll call you from wherever we come out of the Digital world."

Janyu looked around cautiously. "Oh and if you see your mother on the way out don't tell her. She'd have my head if she knew I was letting you two go back."

Suzie laughed. "Bye, daddy!" She was one very happy girl.

* * *

><p>Rika pulled up alongside her mother's house.<p>

Adman pulled his seat back into the correct position. "This isn't your apartment. Why are we stopping here?"

Rika got out of the car. "My Digivice is here. My cards too."

Adman got out and together they two walked to gate.

Rika unlocked it and went in, Adman following.

The dark Tamer told her, "Its past midnight. We should try not to wake her. You go get the cards."

Rika knocked on the front door. "I'm not sneaking into my mother's house. You don't have to be sneaky around your family."

Adman grinned mischieviously, "So you never lie to your mother?"

"No."

"Never? That must have been rough during your teenage years."

"Oh shut up."

"I'm just saying; how did you get laid?"

"I am not having this conversation with you. Look, just go wait by the car. I'll be out shortly."

Adman frowned. "Are you ashamed of me? Do you not want me seeing your mother? I'm a perfectly presentable person. I take offense."

Rika shushed him. "It isn't that. It's just my mom…"

Rumiko answered the door. "Oh Rika, good to see you. Who's your friend?"

Rika cursed under her breath.

Adman took off his glasses; exposing his blue eyes, and bowed slightly. "Adman Hows, Mrs. Nonaka. We met years ago at Rika's birthday party, but I can understand if you don't remember me. It has been some time."

Mrs. Nonaka allowed them in. "The one that wouldn't take my Rika's calls?"

Adman tried to turn a negative into a positive. "Oh good, you remember me. It had been awhile so I thought I'd drop in."

The trio went separate ways. When Adman was resting by the pond, looking into the water, Rika's mother pulled her aside. "That's the boy from long ago? The one with the broad shoulders and loads of cash?"

Rika rolled her eyes. "Good to see you have you priorities straight, mom."

Rika's sarcasm was completely lost on the woman, "Rika, you need to talk to the man. If he would just shave and cut his hair he could be perfect. I want to model him."

Rika was about to reply when Adman called from the pond. "Actually I've been building houses for the past four months in Haiti. Sorry about my appearance, but when you're doing goodwill efforts like that you sometimes forget about your looks. I'll be well groomed in about a week, I assure you Mrs. Nonaka. Certainly before our return trip."

Rika's mother was completely embarrassed that the young man had heard her comments. Then she paused. "Trip? Where is he taking you, Rika? Oh please say it's somewhere romantic like Hawaii or the Bahamas."

Rika stopped her. "It isn't a date."

Rumiko defended herself. "It's after midnight and you're bringing strange men into my home. What else do you expect me to think?"

Rika explained. "He's taking all of us. Me, Takato, Henry. Everyone."

Rika breathed deeply to gather her courage before continuing. "We are going to the Digital world."

Rika's mother stood dumb for just a second. Then she wrapped her arms around her fully grown daughter and sobbed. "No! I can't let you go back. It's too dangerous there. Please don't go!"

Adman was suddenly right by the side of the two girls trying to defuse the situation.

Rika glared at him. "I swear to God, one word of this to Kazu and I will break your jaw."

Adman went the other route. He placed a comforting hand on Mrs. Nonaka's shoulders. "Don't worry. I'm escorting the group. I have a fortress down there that'll keep them safe. I'm very good at what I do, Mrs. Nonaka."

Rumiko was unconvinced. She yelled at the man," I still don't want her going! She's my little girl. The only child I've ever had. Please don't take her from me. You're just one man. What promise can you make that could possible tell me she'll come back in one piece?"

Adman sighed. He looked to Rika and said, "Don't judge me on this."

He took a step back and drew his sword. Then he put the point to the ground and took a knee, his right arm still holding the hilt. "Mrs. Nonaka, I swear on my honor as a warrior that I will let no harm befall your daughter. If it takes every last breath I have I will ensure she is safely returned to you. If I fail this sword and my life are yours to do with as you please. I beg of you to entrust me with her safety for the journey ahead. I wouldn't ask it if it weren't deeply important to her future and the world's."

Rumiko calmed down slightly. "She's just… my little girl!"

Adman stood up and sheathed his sword. "The world needs her again. Renamon needs to see her Tamer again. Please don't be afraid. She'll be ok."

Adman realized he was gaining no ground, but then he thought of something. He went to his next choice in his problem solving list: money. "Mrs. Nonaka, it occurred to me that I never reimbursed you for the damage done to your wall. My associate crashed through it years ago and never paid. While we're talking numbers I have an idea. We're going on a type of vacation. Why don't you do so as well? "

Rumiko still hadn't stopped crying. "What are you talking about?"

"As I'm sure you remember I am a very wealthy man and I take good care of my friends. I've heard your mom isn't doing so good. Let me be the first to offer you my assistance. Consider your financial burden on the matter eliminated. I will take on all expenses indefinitely as well as any expenses you or Rika might have while we are gone. I wish I could do more in regards to your mother, but I'm a billionaire not a miracle worker. In regards to the expenses though consider it my gift to you. Take some time off work. Enjoy yourself.

Mrs. Nonaka stood dumb for a moment. Then she mumbled, "And you'll take good care of Rika?"

Adman put his glasses back on. "I swear upon my life to protect your daughter."

Mrs. Nonaka patted him on the shoulder while weakly smiling at Rika. "You've got a good one here. Don't let go. Would you two like some tea?"

Adman nodded. "That sounds lovely, mam."

The woman stopped him cold. "Don't mam me. I'm not that old yet. Call me Rumiko, please."

Adman nodded silently.

* * *

><p>Rika was in Renamon's old room. She had let the Digimon live there for only a month before they were separated. The young woman pulled a shoebox from the closet and lifted the lid. Her old deck of cards and the blue trimmed Digivice were still inside, where she had left them. At first Rika didn't know why she had left those things at her mothers'. The Digivice is a personal item that connects Tamer to Digimon. To just leave it somewhere is unwise. At first she had thought she left it there because of all the painful memories it held. In order for Rika to grow up the child inside of her had to die. Renamon was part of that childhood and so she had left the things behind to say goodbye to what she had been and hello to what she could become. Though later on as she thought about it, and now as the device lay in her hands, she realized that it had been a way to help Renamon. Her Digimon would always return to this house, to the place of Rika's childhood. The Digivice had always led Rika to her goals, and perhaps she thought deep down that should Renamon find her way back home she could use it to find her again. Then the yellow fox could return the device to the Tamer and they could pick up where they had left off. A single tear rolled down Rika's face and fell onto the screen of the device. So much had gone wrong in her life since Renamon left. So many things that her partner could have helped her with. Fights to be fought. Deep philosophical discussions to be had. She had no guardian anymore and the realization bothered her more than she wanted to admit.<p>

Someone entered the room.

It was the man in the black leather jacket. "Rika, tea is ready."

She felt a sudden wave of anger inside her. He interrupted her tearful moment for that?

Rika swung around, "Yeah thanks. Now get away from me."

Adman leaned against the wall, his arms folded. "What's the matter? Too much time at the old homestead?"

Rika was furious. "Just get the hell out! I need a minute."

Adman pushed off the wall and walked away. "As you wish, but when you need to talk to someone let me know."

Somehow that was the last straw. She broke down into sobbing tears. "You bastard!"

Adman called back, "This isn't my fault. Don't pin this breakdown on me."

Rika shouted, "I did try and talk to you! I tried for four fucking years! You never picked up your damn phone, so excuse me for questioning whether you're reliable or not when it comes to heart to hearts."

Adman stopped. He listened to the girl sob and scream at him for a minute or two. When the wrath had subsided he took off his jacket and wrapped it around her.

Adman mumbled. "I'm sorry."

Rika let her tears wet the front of his jacket a moment longer. "I just miss her so much."

Adman took a step forward and put his arms around the girl; forcing her into a hug like he'd done to Takato.

Rika looked up at him, confused "What are you...?"

Adman stopped her. "We're having a small moment. Just let me talk. I know how much this must hurt. When you tried calling me for help I wasn't there for you. I'm sorry. I should have been there for you and I wasn't."

Rika wiped the tears from her face. "It isn't that. I only had a month to get to know you. I shouldn't expect your full support."

Adman interjected, "But you do. I'm sorry I failed your expectations. I'm going to try and make it up to you in whatever way I can. I promised you and the others that you would see your Digimon again. I will fulfill that promise."

Adman let her go and began walking to the kitchen.

Rika grabbed his hand and stopped him. "Why did you tell my mom you would give your life protecting me?"

Adman tilted his head down. "Because someone needed to reassure her that you would be safe."

She looked away. "So you were lying then? Just trying to be nice for her?"

Adman quickly corrected himself. "No. I meant it. I still do. You will be safe with me as long as I still live."

Rika looked back to him. "You've only had a month to get to know me too. Why would you promise something like that?"

Adman was desperately trying to get out of the awkward situation. "I've fought for a lot of bad causes, Miss Nonaka. Might as well try dying for a good one. Let's hope it doesn't come to that."

Rika seemed unsatisfied with that answer.

Adman shrugged. "Because I'm just that kind of guy, I guess. Let's go have some tea."

* * *

><p>Adman sat drinking his tea silently as the two women watched him. They turned whenever he looked to them, but he was able to tell that their conversation was about him. He sipped the hot tea with some dissatisfaction. Over the years he had made it to the point where if a drink wasn't at least slightly alcoholic he wasn't interested. He drank respectfully as the two women gossiped. Rika objected to most forms of gossip, but she really couldn't say no to her mother.<p>

Adman finished his glass and stood up. "Ladies, I'm afraid I should be leaving soon. Pack your bags, Miss Nonaka, and meet me at the warehouse in about an hour. Thank you for the tea."

Rika objected. "I can drive you."

Adman shook his head no. "I'll travel faster by shadow. You pack and I'll prep the safe house."

With that he was gone, faded into the ground through Shadowmon's powers.

* * *

><p>Takato Matsuki was rounding the corner to the safe house on foot with three other officers. They had parked two blocks away so as not to be spotted. The meeting place was a warehouse, and as Takato moved in the others followed with guns drawn.<p>

Takato positioned himself next to a side door. "Try not to hurt the guy. He is dangerous so be careful."

He knocked on the door. "Adman, its Takato. I'm here; open up." There was no answer.

Takato banged the door harder. "Come on. No hard feelings." Still there was no answer.

Finally Takato pulled his handgun out. "Let's bust the door down. We should have shotguns."

The four men counted, "one, two, three. Go!"

The young cop kicked the door open and ducked away. Then two more took positions near the door. There was no response from inside. One of the men peeked inside. The other went in. The room was empty. They did a quick sweep and then whispered to Takato, "Nobodies home."

The four men looked into the warehouse. It had stuff in it, very well furnished in fact, but no people.

From right by Takato's ear a voice said, "I don't suppose you boys have a warrant?"

That was the first and only warning Adman gave. He spun Takato around and gave him a hard slam in the chest with the palm of his hand. It sent him flying into the safe house. Then he shut the door as he dodged a swing from a police baton.

Takato got up and holstered his gun. Adman wasn't shooting. He wouldn't either if he could help it. He pulled out his baton and ran for the door. As soon as he opened it he saw that his fellow officers were outmatched. Each officer was trained in some form of martial arts, but Adman wasn't human. Any punch the delivered only stunned. One cop swung a baton. Adman caught the baton and delivered an elbow to the man's face. Now Adman had a baton. He blocked one swing from another baton and then kicked the man's stomach. The officer dropped. Adman spun, blocking a swing from the third cop, and then hit the disarmed officer in the face with his own baton. That officer was out cold.

Takato drew his handgun, but Adman seemed to keep one of the officers between them at all times. Adman gave Takato's partner a hard right to the face. The man held his face. That was all Adman needed. He grabbed Takato's partner and slammed his head into the wall of the warehouse. The man was out. The final of the three was behind Adman. Takato aimed, but Adman picked the officer up and tossed him over his shoulder. The officer would have blocked the shot. With the final officer on the ground Adman threw the police baton at Takato. It hit him in the right hand and kept Takato from firing. Adman took the time to deliver a hard punch to the face of the officer on the ground, knocking him out.

Takato was recovering. Adman was on him in a second and then there was a gunshot.

Adman tugged on Takato's right arm as he pulled on the gun. "Give it up, man. I won. Drop the fucking gun. Takato, don't make me rip your arm off. I don't want to, but you know I can."

Adman finally wrestled Takato's gun from him and then limped away. Adman's right leg was bleeding from a wound near the thigh. He looked at Takato in almost the same amount of shock as Takato had.

"You shot me!"

Takato hoped Adman wasn't in a vengeful mood. "What were you doing attacking my men?"

Adman wrapped a cloth around the wound. "You broke into my property! I have a right to defend myself."

Takato pulled the cloth off and examined the wound. "Oh it's just a flesh wound. Just grazed you. No big deal."

Adman moved away and wrapped up the wound tighter. "Let me put a bullet in your ass. Then you can tell me it's no big deal."

Takato looked at the blood on his hand. "You're bleeding red? What the hell happened? I thought you bled black."

Adman was in a very bad mood. "That's just the right arm. The rest of me is human. I bleed red and it hurts when I get shot!"

Takato turned away. "Hey, I'm sorry, but someone had to do something. You kind of forced me."

Adman sighed, his anger lessening. "Don't be sorry. The one thing you did right was pull the trigger, though if you really want to protect your friends I suggest you aim higher. Now why were you bringing the cops to my doorstep? And only four at that. I thought I'd at least get ten."

Takato remembered why he was there and regained his officer attitude, "I have to take you in. To Yamaki. He can help."

Adman grinned cleverly. "So you're going to choose the government politics over your own desire to see Guilmon?"

Takato glared at the man. "Hey you put me in this situation."

Adman grabbed a bag from around a corner and tossed it to him. "And I'm getting you out of this. I took the liberty of packing you some stuff from your apartment. Unlike you I broke in without breaking anything. Your goggles were pretty rough though. The band was just aged to shit so I got you a new one. Looks just like new again. Oh and your Digivice is in there. What were you doing leaving it at home? It should be on you at all times."

Takato looked at him quizzically. "You attack my fellow officers and then expect me to come with you?"

Adman just told him, "You know you want to. You already failed. Might as well leave with us. You can say I kidnapped you."

Takato realized Adman had given him an out. "Did you have to hit Bill so hard?"

Adman looked at the officer knock out next to him. "Sorry. Next time I'll gas the group. I wanted to talk to you though. Hey, at least that wasn't that hard of a punch."

Takato shook his head in disbelief. "What's one of your hard punches?"

Adman inspected his broken metal door and then, in a rapid motion, sent his right arm through it. Takato was wide mouthed as Adman pulled his right arm out before limping inside. "You do realize that you're paying for that door, right?"

Takato complained, "You're a millionaire and you want me to pay for your broken door. The door you put your arm through."

Adman cut him off as he clicked on the light switch. "You kicked my door open. You broke it. I put my arm through my already broken door. Since you broke it you have to pay for it."

Takato sighed.

Adman slapped him on the back. "I'm just pulling your leg. You don't have to pay for it. I guess I'll dispose of your buddies."

Takato was concerned. "What are you going to do with them?"

Adman assuaged his fears. "I'm going to drop them off at a local Koban. They'll be spotted. By the time they wake up we'll all be long gone. Relax, man. We're about to have a great adventure."

Takato asked, "Can I have my gun back?"

Adman held onto it tight. "Once we leave."

* * *

><p>Takato watched the lights come on and illuminate the warehouse. The building was small, but even then it seemed to be cut in half. A large wall blocked the east end from access. Instead of the normal warehouse look, boxes and endless cement, Adman's warehouse had lush carpeting, and a fake fireplace with large bookshelf nearby. Adman turned a knob on the mantle place and a fire started instantly in the fireplace, warming the room. Takato looked around. There was a mini fridge and pool table at one end of the room. At the other side a king sized bed and a small couch near a flat screen TV. The whole room looked more like a swanky apartment than a base of operations.<p>

Takato watched the man sit on a couch, in total disbelief of the whole situation. "So this is your base of operations? I expected more."

Adman muted the television. "Can I trust you? Are you and me on the same page now?"

Takato nodded a yes.

Adman stood up as serious as he could. "I mean it. If I tell you what I need to tell you and I can't trust you then I might have to kill you."

Takato nodded his head vigorously and meant it.

Adman smiled and extended his hand. "Then I'd like you to be my second in command."

Takato shook his hand. "Uh thanks. Do we need that? What do I have to do?"

Adman explained, "Just command the group if I can't. Make important decisions. Since you lead before I think you can do it again. Think you can handle it, officer?"

"But what about Rika? I thought you liked her."

Adman smiled for just a second, releasing Takato's hand, before returning to his serious face. "She's a good person, but you have obvious leadership talent. I'd be a fool not to accept that. I was thinking about Ryo falling next in line. What say you?"

Takato chuckled. "I think it'll make Rika very upset to say the least."

Adman sat back down on the couch. "You let me handle her. You just concentrate on being the best you can. You want to call your chief and request time off or are we going with the kidnapped thing?"

Takato quickly replied, "I didn't know until about five minutes ago whether I was going or not. I don't think I can call in for this. I mean he doesn't know we're here, but…"

Adman lifted an arm of the couch. A phone was installed into the couch. "Call him now. If nothing else you can say I took you hostage."

Takato sighed and made the call. Adman got up as the phone rang.

Takato tried stopping him, "What are you doing?"

Adman pointed to the officer lying near the door.

* * *

><p>Takato was alone now. He'd thought about going with Adman's version of things. He even thought of something far more outlandish: the truth. He could have told his chief everything and let the chips fall where they may. Instead he asked for vacation time. When it didn't work, and sick time wouldn't cover it either, he finally said he'd be taking a leave of absence. He was basically quitting. That was the end of the call. He sat in Adman's room wondering why he'd made that decision.<p>

There was a knock on the outside wall and then Henry entered through the side door into the swanky pad, Suzie in tow. "Nice place. Are we planning a trip to the Digital world or a bachelor party?"

Takato always appreciated Henry's humor. "I know. I expected something greater than this. Computers everywhere. Weapons coming from every crevice. You know?"

Henry sat down next to Takato while Suzie played around on the pool table. They watched whatever they wanted on Adman's TV until the man returned.

The dark Tamer entered and opened the mini fridge. "So now that that is all taken care of who wants a cold drink?"

Suzie popped her hand up. "Me, please."

Adman dug through the fridge. He found a can of coke in the back and passed it to her. It was actually the only nonalcoholic drink he had in the fridge. He did like his Jack and coke.

Henry stood up to greet the man. "Nice place you got here. Is this your hotel room over here or something?"

Adman chuckled. "No. I normally stay in hotel rooms. Ones that don't require credit, that is. This is a nice place for me to relax. Sometimes I like to impress the ladies of the area with my swinging pad."

Suzie said, "I'm impressed."

Adman gave his most charming smile to the young girl as he turned. "Then it was worth every penny."

Then he turned to Henry. "Normally I have this saved as a safe house in case I get recognized or someone spots my more diabolical workings."

Takato joined in. "Me and Henry were just noticing you don't have a huge selection of guns lying around."

Adman grinned. "That would be irresponsible. You're actually sitting on them."

Takato leapt off the couch. Adman pulled the cushions off to reveal a thick glass case with a set of rifles and dual handguns.

Henry tapped on the glass. "Now that seems more like you."

Takato tried opening the case, but found it locked.

Adman walked over to the pool table, leaving Takato to put the cushions back. "Wanna see my hot tub?"

Henry looked around, seeing nothing that even looked like a hot tub. "Sure, why not?"

Adman's hand went under the pool table and something clicked. The pool table began to move to the far wall by itself. Suzie backed away. From out of the ground a small two person hot tub rose on a lift type platform. Adman watched as it clicked into place before removing the protective cover. He watched as the warm water bubbled.

Henry said nothing about the man's eccentricities, but Takato had to say, "This must be a nice treat to take a date to."

Adman clicked a button on the floor after slipping the cover back on. The hot tub disappeared again, "I wouldn't know. I don't date as much as I did when I was younger. When I use this it's normally by myself."

Suzie sighed as the water left. "But why?"

Adman looked at his right hand with some sadness. "Most women don't appreciate me getting in with my glove and even less like me when it comes off."

Takato wished he hadn't said anything.

* * *

><p>Rika came in next. "Cool place. So how are we getting to the Digital world from here?"<p>

Adman folded his arms. "I would rather wait to explain that when everyone is here. Don't want to do the same show over and over again."

She forced Henry and Takato to make a space as she sat down on the couch between them. Adman rested on his large bed, watching the three original tamers chatting in his home away from home. Something about all the Digimon Tamers from the past being in one place made him feel warm inside. They talked and joked like good friends. Suzie sat next to them on a small stool, joining in. His mind turned to darker thoughts as he saw the four together. They were all friends. They were a family. He was unfortunately not one of them. Never would be. He was a stranger in his own home. He was as he would always be and had always been. Always alone. Adman went to a counter and picked out a bottle. He opened it and popped an antidepressant. He could take them like candy, but the darker thoughts always seemed to find him. It came with the territory he supposed.

The others came in and Adman greeted them all cheerily even though his mind was in the normal state of turmoil. Everyone had showed up. Well almost everyone.

Takato looked around. "So who are we missing?"

Adman closed the door as best he could. "Kazu. You've forgotten Kazu."

Takato slapped a palm to his forehead. "Oh no. He's in a holding cell right now."

Adman leaned against the pool table. "No he isn't. Shadowmon, if you don't mind."

Kazu came flying up out of the floor. He landed on Adman's bed and rolled off. "Can we please stop doing that?"

Kenta and Ai helped him up. Adman walked over to the bookcase and thumbed through the assorted books. "I'm sorry, but it was the best way to get you out. Now that Takato's on our side, and I've disposed of the others he was with, we can hide you better."

Rika walked up to him. "So this seems small for you. It just isn't what I imagined."

Adman looked to her for a second. "My biggest property is in Texas, but I have safe houses like this in several countries. This is a smaller facility, but I do have better ones elsewhere."

Adman pulled a book out and opened it. There was a metal panel inside. He hit several buttons and then slid the book back into place on the shelf. There was a click and the bookshelf slid to the right, revealing the rest of the warehouse.

Adman turned to the others. "Place your keys and instructions for Franklin on the pool table. He'll find them. Then take your bags and follow me to the other side. We're crossing over now."


	27. Chapter 27: The Other Side

_Disclaimer: This work is for purely entertainment purposes and is not for profit. I do not own Digimon or any characters previously seen in Digimon. If anyone who does own Digimon sees this I am more than willing to help with the next season. Also I do not own the classic 'Peanuts' characters that are referenced in this chapter. Enjoy._

**Chapter Twenty-Seven: The Other Side.**

The digital aperture on the other side of Adman's warehouse was massive; a circle of metal and power. Three massive cords powered the machine. Adman flipped several switches and then hit a red button. The machine whirred on. Electricity popped from all the edges and formed into a window to the other world.

Suzie was impressed. "Did you make this?"

Adman felt in a boastful mood. "I made pretty much every artificial digital portal. These things have been mine for over a decade, and they've allowed me to get all the advanced technology I could ever want from the Digital world. I'm a decade or more ahead of my closest competitors."

Rika nudged him. "Not that you're bragging."

Ryo examined the portal closely. "Let him brag. This is amazing. I mean I knew Hypnos had one, but to think that you just have these lying around. I sure could have used these in my younger days."

Adman addressed the group, "Now the next thing I have to say most of you won't like. I'm going to need your Digivices."

Takato objected quickest. "No way! They're ours. What could you need them for?"

Adman waited for the room to quiet before replying, "I don't need them, but I can't afford to have you guys wandering off looking for your partners. The compass isn't good at giving distances. You could be walking for days looking for them. I have a strict itinerary to stick to. We'll get you to my compound, get you armed and trained in how to survive the Digital world, and then I'll take you out one by one to get your partners. In the meantime I'll keep the Digivices in a plastic bag in my pack. They won't be far. I won't lose them, I promise."

Each Tamer reluctantly gave up their Digivice, which Adman put in a large plastic bag.

Ryo gripped Adman's hand as Adman reached for his. "You hold onto this. We're counting on you." Then he let go.

Jeri clung to hers desperately. She stuttered as Adman approached her. "I...I… I mean. It's just. Why do you need mine? I don't…"

Adman walked past her. "Keep it."

He took Rika's and she gave him a look. This wasn't in the plan, but she'd go along with it for the time being.

As he passed by her he noted the sword at her side. "You've got that and Takato will have his pistol. See, we aren't completely defenseless."

The dark Tamer picked a rifle from the wall nearby. It was the standard automatic he used on trips to the Digital world. He needed all the firepower he could get. The cargo he was transporting was too important to let anything happen to them. "Now follow me to the Digital world."

As they approached Ai stopped close to the portal. She looked at it nervously as it crackled and popped. "Will it hurt? Going over, I mean?"

Adman was the first to step through. He spoke through the portal, his voice having a slight delay from when his lips moved. "Not in the least. I assure you its perfectly harmless."

The group stepped through the portal to the Digital world.

Kenta was the last to go through. He said, "Let me get my stuff," and then proceeded to pull a small trunk behind himself.

Adman rolled his eyes.

* * *

><p>On the other side of the portal the world was not as it was on the Earthly side. The same rules didn't necessarily apply. Letters and symbols flew around an empty void of blue as the group walked down a path that they couldn't see.<p>

Suzie looked around. "Which way is down?"

Henry quickly wrapped his hand around her mouth. "None of that, Suzie."

Suzie pulled free and asked, "But why?"

Jeri smiled warmly and told her. "It's just for the best that we don't ask these questions. Believe me."

Adman called back. "Oh yes. If we were to fall we'd hit the firewall and… well that wouldn't end well. There are ways around the rules here though if you know how to think."

Adman slowly lifted from the ground and flew forward.

Rika caught up to him. "Hey, slow down. The others can't fly, you know?"

Adman turned around and floated on his back like he was on water. "Of course they can here. In this area between worlds the rules are loosest. You and the others can travel however you want, but I always want to fly."

With that he floated effortlessly down the path as the others followed. After about ten minutes of walking a metallic object came into view. It was a large lift. Adman landed on it, his feet remaining grounded for the first time since entering. He waited for the others.

Takato stepped onto the platform. "I don't remember this from last time."

Adman positioned himself near the controls. "I've installed lifts like this over the digital areas where I have safe houses. They will allow us to descend to the Digital world without too much chaos."

Henry looked at the lift floating in thin air and asked, "How did you pull this off? How do these work?"

Adman began to explain, "Well I stole the technology from a robot village. It is actually tethered, but not in a way we can see. They have lifts that work on a form of string theory that…" He saw the clueless look on Henry's face and sighed. "You know what; it's just easier to say magic."

The others made it to the lift. Kenta was the last to arrive. He was dragging his trunk.

Kazu walked up to his old friend and lifted one end. "You shouldn't pack so much, chumly. It'll slow us down."

Kenta smiled; glad to have his friend back. "I didn't know how long we'd be or what we would need."

Kazu pointed to the warrior in black. "Look at Adman. He's traveling really light. His backpack, a sword, a handgun, our Digivices and a rifle. Nothing much."

Realization hit the con like a ton of bricks. "Hey Adman, I don't have anything! I don't even have my Digivice!"

Adman adjusted his pack. "I got your Digivice. You had it on you when you were first busted, right? Shadowmon dug through your personal effects back in prison and grabbed it. There wasn't much else. You had a quarter and…"

Kazu interrupted him, "Do you have it?"

Adman dug through his pocket and found a quarter. "Uh yeah. What are you doing with an American quarter anyway?"

Kazu looked at the coin. "This isn't mine. Mine has a notch cut on one side."

Adman fished through his pocket and found the coin.

Kazu examined it and pocketed it. "It's my lucky coin."

Adman looked at him confused. "Your lucky quarter? That was taken from you when you got arrested. I don't call that lucky."

Kazu relaxed and told Kenta, "Man does this guy think of everything or what? He remembered my quarter, my Digivice… He's almost as cool as Ryo."

Ryo called from somewhere on the lift. "Almost, but I bet I could beat him in cards."

Adman started the lift as soon as everyone was on and called back. "Probably. I don't know how to play. I just use the modify cards. My strategies are better at war than cards. To each his own I guess."

* * *

><p>They descended for a few minutes with the lift seemingly being anchored to nothing in the void.<p>

Ai and Suzie sat on the side, their arms on the railing that surrounded the lift, and dangled their feet over as they looked down. Then as they went lower the flying numbers and endless blue disappeared. It was replaced by a thick landscape of red. There was a red sheet that wrapped around the Digital world.

Adman told Henry, "You might want to get your sister away from the edge. This lift is going to slow soon and when it does the shaking could…"

That was all Henry needed to hear. "Suzie, Ai; get away from the edge now."

There was a second where Suzie turned and asked why before the tram shuttered to a slow. The jolt sent the two girls screaming over the side. Ai had the railing while Suzie had the lip of the lift. Takato and Ryo grabbed Ai and pulled her in, Rika grabbing the girls hand as they did to make sure the girl didn't let go. Adman slid for Suzie, Henry right behind him, when she suddenly lost her grip and fell.

Adman was right over the edge after her, calling, "Shadowmon!"

The dark Tamer fell over too, but grabbed the girl's hand. A single metal cable shot down and grabbed Adman by the waist. Suzie's shoe dangled inches from the red field, and the lift was still descending slowly.

"Pull us up, Shadow!" Adman yelled.

The cable pulled. Suzie's hand was the first thing that was seen over the lip, and Henry grabbed it immediately. Adman rolled onto the lift next and quickly ran to the console to stop it. Once he did he breathed a sigh of relief and looked to the group.

Adman let out a nervous laugh as he said, "Well let's hope that concludes the drama for this trip."

Adman had stopped the tram just above the massive red sheet that lay over the Digital world.

Rika looked down. "Now I know this is different."

"This is the firewall Yamaki promised." Their guide informed them, "It practically guarantees that the worlds will stay separated."

Adman moved some of the people away from the middle of the lift and opened a panel. The firewall was inches from them.

Henry looked down the opening. "So what happens if we'd have touched it?" He was clutching his sister tight.

Adman took out his pistol and ejected the magazine. He popped a bullet out and let it fall to the firewall. The bullet hissed and sizzled before vanishing completely. No shot, no explosion, just a sizzle and then nothing. He put the magazine back in and holstered his gun. "Something like that, but with your face as the bullet."

He reached down and a panel materialized from the glowing translucent firewall. Somehow it recognized that someone was accessing the firewall and was making a type of login box for the dark Tamer. Adman tapped several buttons until numbers appeared on the panel. He stood up and closed the panel in the lift. The firewall bellow them flashed green for a second before disappearing altogether. The lift continued to descend through where the firewall had been.

Henry watched them pass through the broken section of firewall. "Passwords. The firewall has passwords. Do you have all of them?"

Adman continued controlling the lift at a steady pace. "No. I only have passwords for the gates I constructed. Nothing can get through without them. Yamaki probably has a few for his walls. Other than that there's no way in or out."

Ai was looking down over the edge, tempting fate again. "So that means we can't really get out without your passwords."

Adman felt her concern. "I'm not going to leave anyone here. There are extra passwords hidden in my compound here. If you really need out, and I can't help, you look through my library for a locked book. The key is in my study."

The words didn't mean much to the girl at that point. All she knew was that the Digital world had become a prison, and only two men, Yamaki and Adman, had the keys. Both were clearly unstable.

As land became visible the group stared in awe at the Digital world they had lost. Most of it still remained in a state of disrepair. Deep gashes where the D-reaper had touched the landscape remained. Adman had spent years constructing bridges and pathways in this broken land, but it was a temporary fix. The four Digimon Sovereigns were in charge of locating necessary data to repair the world, but after the leeching effects of the D-reaper data was in short supply. So many sections were completely lost. Others just barely remained habitable. There was virtually no area of the Digital world untouched by the corrosive effects of the war so many years ago. As they got closer a storm picked up underneath them in the barren landscape. Wind blew sand around in great torrents. The harsh landscape was made worse by the fact that the elements were constantly against them. If it wasn't sandstorms it was huge data streams. Pink beams from the human world sent to collect data from the surface of the Digital world by users could transfer anyone caught in them anywhere in the digital plain.

At this point the element of chaos was the heavy wind and sand. Once everyone had stepped off the lift Adman hit a button to recall the lift. Their method of delivery was gone.

Adman adjusted his gear and looked at his watch. "We have about two hours before nightfall so we should get moving."

They walked in the direction the dark warrior said to go. A compass guided him, but the others didn't really care which way they were heading. Each and every Tamer looked around the Digital world in amazement. It had been so long since they had been there. Ai had never been and Suzie was so young the last time she was there.

Suzie noticed the dark fox walking next to Adman. She ran up to him and hugged his furry black arm. "I remember you! You were in the truck. Ryo thought I imagined it, but I knew you were real. Thanks for saving us. Adman and me, I mean."

Shadowmon looked to his Tamer for help. Adman shrugged.

The dark fox told the girl, "I remember you too. Glad you could come. I need to keep my eyes open for threats."

Suzie understood. "Right. You're working. We can talk later. Terriermon is going to love you. And Lopmon."

When the girl was out of range Shadowmon grumbled, "Great, she remembers me. I'm not sure I want to be part of this big happy family."

Adman was frank. "Tell me about it. We have to be hospitable though. These guys are counting on us. We can do this. We've entertained guests before."

Shadowmon cocked his head. "Children? In the Digital world?"

"Not here, but sure children. I can't recall actually doing so, but I'm sure it's happened before." Adman sounded unsure.

"Ruff!" A dog puppet made Adman and Shadowmon jump.

It was connected to Jeri's arm and Adman examined it as if she'd presented him with a living alien. "What the hell is that? A puppet? That's the weirdest fucking thing I've ever seen."

Shadowmon reminded him of their adventures, "Budapest."

"That's right. Second weirdest thing."

"Singapore titty bar."

"Ok, third weirdest thing."

"Box you found in your parent's closet labeled 'family movies'."

"It's still pretty weird, ok! Go away. Hi Jeri."

Jeri walked with Adman. "Thank you for taking me."

Adman looked down at her without stopping his long gait. "Why wouldn't I?"

She looked down at the ground, sadness creeping in. "Well, because I don't have a Digimon to protect me."

The dark warrior placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Look around. Nobody does right now. Shadowmon and I will be your protection for the time being. You deserve to be here, even if you don't have a partner. Your Digivice is your ticket to the Digital world. It is a birthright that promises this land to you."

Jeri looked around at the scarred landscape. "What's left of it."

Adman tried distracting her. "So what's with the puppet?"

Jeri looked at her puppet. "Just a childhood toy. It makes me feel better. Like a security thing."

Adman laughed. "You're linus! You've got your little security blanket."

The dark Tamer turned around and looked at the group. "Actually, it's kind of eerie." He pointed to Kazu and Kenta. "You're Snoopy and Woodstock." He then pointed to Rika. "Definitely Lucy. And Suzie, you're Sally. Wow this is creepy. You're all Peanuts characters. And Takato. Takato, you're good old Charlie Brown. Can I start calling you a blockhead?"

Henry looked to Ryo. "Why is it I get the feeling we're seeing a joke that's only running in Adman's head?"

Rika told them, "Don't be fooled. That's how almost all of Adman's jokes work. He's the only one that finds them funny."

Adman kept walking as he called back. "Shadowmon and I normally do these runs alone. I have to find some way to preoccupy myself."

* * *

><p>The group came to a large wooden bridge held together by ropes. It spanned a massive ravine. A river could be seen hundreds of feet below.<p>

"I know it isn't much to look at anymore," The dark Tamer told them, "But this place will return to its former glory. I've done the best I could to make do with what's left. These bridges span every gap in this world. Shadowmon and I put them up."

The dark Tamer had his left hand on Jeri's shoulder as he motioned to the ravine below with his other hand. "Shadowmon leapt this entire thing with cables attached to him. Then we secured things and put the boards down. These bridges are used every day by countless Digimon to get from one side to another. All the lumber is imported, unfortunately. There aren't enough good trees left here, but I don't think it'll hurt the ecosystem."

Jeri was very much interested. "Really! You guys did all this work."

"I've had years to do it. When I'm not in the human world I'm here trying to improve the Digital world. Not too much I can do, but I try. Oh Linus, you're a peach."

Rika squeezed past Jeri and looked at the girl in a friendly manner. "I wouldn't get too close, Jeri. He's unbearable when he actually bonds with you. You can't get rid of him. Trust me. Remember you're with Takato. He looks lonely. Dance with the date that brought you."

Jeri smiled, quite happy to return to Takato.

Adman crossed the narrow bridge with Rika behind him. He did not turn to look at her, but called back, "So are you jealous of me talking to Jeri? I didn't know we were mutually exclusive."

Rika was getting concerned by the swaying nature of the bridge, but she concentrated on moving forward. "We aren't mutually anything. I just don't want Jeri blowing what she has with Takato."

Adman finished her sentence. "On some schmuck like me."

Rika corrected him, "You know that's not what I meant."

Adman continued without looking back. "No, no. I happen to agree with you. I just think that you have some ulterior motive. Not wanting any competition for my affections."

He reached the end of the bridge and then held his hand out for the girl in his gentlemanly way. She took his hand instinctively and leapt to solid Earth, grateful to be there, "Don't think too highly of yourself."

Adman helped the others across. "You know nobody thinks less of me than me. I'm only just barely human, remember?"

Rika watched as Kazu and Kenta came across the bridge with the trunk Kenta had packed in between them. Takato was making sure they wouldn't fall. Finally the whole group was across.

Henry wiped sweat from his brow. "How soon until we make camp?"

Adman looked at his compass and then off into the horizon. He pointed to a large stone structure at the very edge of the horizon. "We make camp on top of that tonight. We have about an hour left so let's double time it. Kenta, move faster with that thing or leave it."

Kenta adjusted his glasses. "Yeah, I got it."

Kazu hefted his end onto his shoulder. "You mean we got it."

Adman moved at his normally quick pace as the others followed.

Rika came next to him, "So how much farther would you say?"

"We should be at the base right as nightfall hits. Then I'll have to climb it and we'll get everyone up."

Rika looked at the tall rocky plateau. "We're camping on top of it?"

Adman cracked his knuckles. "That's the plan."

The dark Tamer suddenly stopped. They were approaching another rope bridge, but he seemed unwilling to cross. Adman crouched down on the side of the ravine and looked out.

Rika asked, "Why are we stopped here? I thought we were on a schedule."

Adman gave a subtle nod of his head towards the other side of the ravine. "We're being watched."

Rika immediately crouched down next to Adman, getting as low as she could without looking suspicious. "Is it the assassins? How did they get down here?"

Adman shook his head. "It's a local. There's an Ogremon watching us. My guess is he's got more hiding on the other side of the bridge."

Adman pulled out his telescope and spotted the area.

Shadowmon crouched next to the man. "You could snipe him from here."

Adman rejected the idea. "Nah. It'd alert his buddies and I really want to conserve ammo. Let's try this diplomatically. You and I will go over there."

Rika grabbed the hilt of her sword, but Adman grabbed her hand. "Nah ah. You aren't ready. Diplomacy. We fight only if necessary. I'll head over there and talk to them. You and Takato stay here and protect the group. A bridge is a sucky place to be ambushed."

The dark Tamer called Takato over and quickly told him. "We've got a green meanie on the other side of the bridge, probably with friends, and they're waiting for us. I'm going to go over there and bargain our way across. You and Rika stay here and look after the group. Think you can do that, my number two? Here's your gun. Don't shoot me in the ass, ok."

* * *

><p>Shadowmon fused to Adman's jacket. The Tamer crossed slowly. When they were half way across the bridge two creatures appeared at the opposite end.<p>

The shorter one was a stocky fellow with an orange Mohawk. The Mohawk contrasted the green skin. It wore a brown tunic and had a large club in its right hand.

Adman pulled out his Digivice and let Shadowmon send data of the creature back to him. "Goblimon, rookie level. Virus type. Very nasty."

The taller of the two was a large green menace. He was taller than the others, but still green. He had white hair and a larger club made of bone. Two black horns sprouted from his head and his lower jaw seemed over extended to the point where it couldn't possibly line up with the upper one. The larger Digimon was identified as Ogremon, the champion form of Goblimon. He was much stronger.

Adman halted, "How you doing, chief. Let us pass in peace."

Ogremon chuckled and his henchman followed suit. "You will go in peace when you have paid the toll. You and your fellows must give up a portion of your data. We demand a sacrifice as payment for maintaining this bridge."

Adman replied, "Look around. We aren't Digimon. We have no data to offer."

The Goblimon spoke up, "Then a tribute from your things. We saw you carrying a trunk. Gotta be something valuable in there."

Adman was getting impatient. "I made this bridge. I will not pay a toll on my own work."

The Ogremon set his club on one of the ropes holding the bridge. "Pay the toll or you will take a spill."

Adman glared at the beast. "I have a counter offer. Shadowmon, wound him."

A cable shot from Adman's back and let off a shadow blaster attack. It ripped into Ogremon's shoulder and he dropped to hold his shoulder. Adman began running, unsheathing his sword. Diplomacy had failed.

The Ogremon looked to the Goblimon. "Stop him!"

The Goblimon threw his club towards Adman.

The dark Tamer told Shadowmon, "Deflect it."

A cable shot from Adman's back and batted the club away.

The Ogremon brought back his right hand for an attack. "Pummel whack!"

A burst of dark energy came barreling towards Adman.

Adman told Shadowmon, "Shield."

The coils sprouted from Adman's back and formed a metallic shield in front of him. The pummel whack fizzled against it. At this point Adman was about thirty feet from his target. The Goblimon ran away in panic. Adman told Shadowmon, "You get the stray. I'll take the big guy out."

Shadowmon left Adman's back as a shadow and followed after the Goblimon. Ogremon brought up his bone club to shatter the bridge cables, but it was too late. Adman leapt and jammed his blade into the chest of the ogre. As he pulled out his blade he quipped, "I don't pay tolls to trolls."

Shadowmon was after the Goblimon. The dark Digimon shot from the ground and landed on a rocky outcrop the Goblimon was running parallel with. Unlike Renamon Shadowmon would occasionally run on all four legs to gain speed. It was part of his animal instincts kicking in. He ran on all fours until he was directly above his target. Then he leapt down, not needing his coils, and sunk his teeth into the shoulder of the fearful Goblimon. The dark fox brought the Goblimon down and bit deep into the neck until the Digimon died. Shadowmon stood and wiped blood from his mouth with grim satisfaction. The body was breaking into data, but already Shadowmon realized he had a new problem. The Goblimon had not been fleeing blindly. It had led him directly back to a tribe of other Goblimon. There were too many for the lone rookie to take on so he ran with the group hot on his heels.

Adman saw the fox sprinting for his life as dozens of Goblimon gave chase. He immediately sheathed his sword and pulled out his rifle. Ammo conservation was thrown to the wind as he picked off a few with great precision. Headshots were still lethal to digital life and Adman was good at those. As the tide got closer he tossed his rifle aside and unsheathed his sword. Shadowmon stopped and stood by his side, snarling like a wild animal. The dark Tamer stood at a ready stance and gave a warning. "I'll say this once: back down or you will all suffer."

That apparently did nothing to put fear into the Goblimon horde. They descended upon the duo with clubs raised.

* * *

><p>Takato and Rika watched Adman and Shadowmon dispatch the lone Ogremon. Then they spotted the tide of Goblimon coming after the two and knew things had gone wrong.<p>

Rika told Takato, "We have to help them!"

Takato knew she was right, but his mouth acted without his consent. "But he told us to stay here."

Rika grabbed him by the shirt. "They are going to KILL him! He's our guide. Without those two we're lost."

Takato began to say, "We don't have our Digimon."

Rika unsheathed her sword. "I have this. You have a gun. Don't be helpless. Come on!"

She began running across the bridge.

Takato yelled to Henry, "Look after everybody. I got to go after Rika."

Ryo ran after Takato.

Ai was about to follow, but Kazu and Kenta moved the trunk in her way. Kazu told her, "Hold on just a second. Let the adults handle this. Ryo's a tough guy and so is Adman. They can do this."

* * *

><p>Rika was the first across the bridge. She held her sword close and took a deep breath. "Here goes nothing."<p>

As luck would have it the Goblimon were focused on Adman and Shadowmon, who were lost in the sea of Goblimon. Rika slashed at a Goblimon that had it's back to her. The creature turned, angered by the wound, and shoved her to the ground. Rika held onto her weapon. She pointed it at The Goblimon, but felt the creature getting too close for comfort. Then Shadowmon appeared and leapt onto the Goblimon's back. He bit into the shoulder as his cables shot out and stabbed into the torso. As the Goblimon slowly dropped he released his bite and told Rika, "Run! Get out of here!"

A second Goblimon clubbed Shadowmon and sent him flying back into the fray.

That Goblimon turned and faced Rika. Then it started bleeding, data spurting in goop and mist, from a small hole in it's chest. Another one appeared and the Goblimon dropped. Takato ran up to Rika, his gun drawn, and helped her up. "We need to get out of here."

Ryo picked up a club dropped by one of the Goblimon and encouraged them to move. "I wouldn't recommend being in one of these fights. A human can't win these things."

Rika hesitated. "But Adman…"

Takato told her point blank, "Isn't human. He'll be ok."

Another Goblimon focused on the trio. Ryo brandished the club as he said. "I don't suppose we could work something out."

Takato aimed his gun at the creature and told Ryo, "Get her out of here. I'll follow. We need to be gone."

The Goblimon rushed them. Ryo ducked under a swing and cracked the knee of the Goblimon with his own club. It fell to the ground and clutched its knee. Rika looked around and spotted Adman's rifle in the middle of the fray. "That'll help."

Takato didn't see what Rika saw. All he saw was the girl running into the midst of the chaos.

Ryo shouted after her, but a trio of Goblimon cut them off from the girl. Takato pointed his gun at the Goblimon.

Ryo told him, "We've got to get Rika out of there."

Takato understood. "Yeah, but we have to get to her first. Stay close."

* * *

><p>Rika ran past Goblimon with swift motions. She was faster than them and could avoid them more often than not. She slid to the ground and crouched next to Adman's rifle. She was about to pick it up when A Goblimon kicked her hard in the side. She rolled along the ground, her sword lost. The Goblimon closed in for the kill, but then was shoved away by a kick from Adman. The dark Tamer appeared from nowhere and picked the girl up. He was about to say something when he moved her to the side. A Goblimon attacked with its club. Adman blocked it with his sword, gave it a hard slap that turned it around, and then jabbed his sword through the chest. He used his foot to push the corpse off his sword as it broke into data before returning to Rika. He growled, "What the fuck are you doing here? I told you not to get involved!"<p>

Rika began to explain. "You needed help."

Adman forced her to duck with his left hand before slicing the head off of a rushing Goblimon. "Does it look like I need help?"

Rika could tell Adman had been hit several times. He looked tired, but he was keeping up the pace. He called out, "Shadowmon, you here?"

Shadowmon leapt from a shadow and landed a fair ways away from the two. "I'm here, sir. I…"

Shadowmon was pummeled in the back with a club. He dropped and then used his coils to put up a metal dome around himself for protection.

Adman groaned in frustration. "I'm coming, buddy." He looked to Rika. "Get out."

Rika told Adman, "Ryo and Takato are in here somewhere…"

Adman spun around and pulled his pistol out with his right hand. He fired three shots into the crowd and dropped three Goblimon. Takato and Ryo were seen in the distance fighting for their lives. Adman shoved Rika in that direction. "Go. I got this."

Rika watched Adman disappear into the fray before running for Takato and Ryo. She made it about three feet before she heard Adman firing again. He ducked under a swing and brought his sword up, but his wrist was clipped by a club and he dropped it. He fired rapidly as the Goblimon closed in. Rika jumped onto the back of one and held on as it thrashed. Adman rolled away from the group and holstered his gun. He pulled off his jacket and waved it like a matador's muleta. "Toro Toro!"

The Goblimon charged and Adman leapt, blinding the Goblimon with his jacket as he dangled around the back of the Goblimon by the back. The Goblimon flailed his club wildly. It taunted, "This will not stop me, human!"

Adman got a firm grip of the head of the Goblimon and replied, "No, but this will."

He wrapped his legs around the torso to get a good grip on the Goblimon before spinning the head of the Goblimon 180 degrees with his powerful arms.

There was a second for Adman to grab his jacket and put it on before he heard Rika scream. The Goblimon were surrounding her. She clutched her head as clubs raised above her. The dark Tamer hit one with a flying kick and landed on top of her. He covered her with himself and rolled them away. Rika opened her eyes it time to see Adman get clubbed hard in the back. Then again, and again. Bone shattering hits landed on the dark Tamer and he could do nothing to stop them.

Takato saw Adman taking a beating. He fired in the group, but couldn't stem the tide.

Ryo ran towards them. "They'll kill them! We…"

The pummeling stopped, the two Tamers on the ground didn't move. Takato's eyes went wide as he whispered, "No…"

* * *

><p>Rika opened her eyes. The beating had stopped, she hadn't been hit, but the Goblimon were still there. She whispered to Adman, "Adman, are you still… Are you ok?"<p>

She heard him take a breath and felt relieved. "Good. We need to get out of here."

Adman didn't react how she thought he would. His right hand found solid ground and he pushed up. A low growl was building from his throat; something Rika feared would attract the Goblimon.

One looked to the dark Tamer and told the others, "It's still alive."

Another Goblimon gave the order, "Kill it."

The first Goblimon raised his club and brought it down hard. This time it didn't hit the dark Tamer. Adman's right hand reached and caught the club as it was coming down. Rika could only watch as Adman slowly got up, gripping the club in his powerful hand. He shouted. "Shadowmon!"

His pocket glowed and Rika saw a light coming from a pile of Goblimon. Chaotimon emerged; Digivolved and ready for the fight. Adman put another foot down and lifted himself. At this point Rika was able to see Adman's face and she gasped at what she saw. His eyes, specifically his irises, had changed color. They were now a piercing red.

Another Goblimon went to club Adman. The dark Tamer pulled the club free from the first Goblimon and swung it around in one full loop. This knocked back all the nearby Goblimon. The dark Tamer put his sunglasses on, blocking the horrific change from view, and tossed the club aside. Chaotimon was already tearing apart the enemy, but all focus was on Adman. He pulled on his right glove and tossed it to the ground to expose his powerful right arm. The claws were just as sharp as ever.

Adman cracked his knuckles as he told the Goblimon, "You all have no idea who you are fucking with!"

The Goblimon rushed Adman. Adman swung his arm around, slashing the skin of one Goblimon's face, and sinking the sharp point of his index finger into the eyeball of another Goblimon. He slapped it aside with his left hand and freed his right. Another Goblimon came from behind, followed by one in the front. Adman elbowed the one in behind in the face before punching the one in front in the nose. The one in the rear recovered in time to see Adman's right hand swing around. The sharp claws slit its throat before whipping back forward and shooting straight through the chest of the forward Goblimon. Adman arm went all the way to the elbow inside the Goblimon. Hewiggled his fingers through the chest of the enemy at the other Goblimon before pulling his arm free and readying for the next attack.

A Goblimon swung its club horizontally, but Adman ducked under it. He kicked the knee in with his right leg, bringing the Goblimon to a kneel with a scream. The scream was short lived as Adman's right hand went through the lower jaw and up into the skull of the Goblimon. Its eyes rolled to the back of its head and Adman shoved it away.

* * *

><p>Rika was horrified and mesmerized by the animal ferocity that Adman was delivering. Suddenly Takato was there by her picking her off the ground.<p>

Ryo handed her her sword and told her, "You dropped this."

Rika sheathed it and knew it wouldn't be necessary. Chaotimon was slicing away at the Goblimon as well. He powered up his sword and told the group, "Get down! Shadow slash!"

He swung his blade around and an energy pulse spun around with him. It cut the weak rookie Goblimon in half. Some ducked, but others didn't. Takato, Rika and Ryo were lucky enough to duck. Adman dropped to a low crouch as the attack leveled the enemy. A few Goblimon got up. Adman grabbed one with his claws. His middle and ring finger were in the eye sockets while his thumb was under the upper jaw. It screamed as he squeezed and imploded the face of the poor Goblimon. He threw the disappearing body into the crowd and shouted at the fleeing Goblimon, "Don't fucking mess with Texas!"

The rest of the Tamers were running across the bridge, the battle over.

Ai bowed down to Adman. "You. Are. A. God!"

Adman's victory was short lived. He dropped to one knee; finding it hard to support himself after his fight.

Henry tried to get him to lie down. "We saw you get hit. Just stay still, Adman. Lie down."

Adman shoved him away. "I'm fine, doc. We can't do this right now."

Henry urged him down. "You're not fine. You probably have severe fractures. Internal bleeding…"

Adman stood to his full height and pointed to the fleeing Goblimon. "They are still around. If they smell weakness they will return and I don't want to go for round two. We can rest once we're away."

A lone Goblimon was trying to crawl away; its leg had been injured in the fight.

It pleaded for help as Shadowmon, now back to his normal self, approached.

"Oh Sovereigns help me! Please! I want to live!"

Shadowmon flipped it onto its back and gripped it by the tunic. "Who's your creator? Your Sovereigns are silent. They will not help you. My creator fights by my side. He gives me strength. Beg for your creators to save you. They will not stay my hand."

Shadowmon brought a cable out and pulled it back to plunge into the chest of the Goblimon. Before he could a delicate hand grabbed his cable. It was Suzie Wong. She held it back and told him, "Don't. He's suffered enough. They've learned their lesson."

Shadowmon looked back to the Goblimon with disgust. His eyes were wicked. "No. He should suffer for what he's done. He should pay…"

Adman gave the command, "At ease, Shadowmon. I've got this. Gather our things. Bring me my pack."

Shadowmon objected. "But…"

Adman was unflinching. "My pack. Now."

The fox dropped the Goblimon and went for Adman's pack. The pack had been dropped during the fight.

Adman crouched next to the Goblimon. "You're going to live. I promise you that, but only to deliver a message for me to your friends. Tell them that if I ever hear of another Goblimon demanding tolls from weary travelers again I will personally hunt down every last Goblimon in this world and execute them in the most painful way I can think of. And trust me, I'm creative."

The Goblimon protested. "You can't do this. The Sovereigns will punish you."

Adman chuckled. "Go ahead and tell them. They know where I live. Let's see if your plight gets them to leave their lands to mingle with the commoners. I doubt they will care much. I'd bring your case up to the firebird. He has a grudge against me. He might be sympathetic to your cause. Until then get the hell out of my sight."

Shadowmon handed Adman his pack. The dark Tamer pulled a small vial from his medical kit and uncorked it. "This is concentrated distilled data packets. It will heal your leg. Pour it on the wound and run to your allies."

The Goblimon did pour the vial on the wound and then ran for dear life.

Shadowmon was in a poor mood. "We should have executed him as an example."

Adman put his glove back on. "I think we've given them enough of an example."

The edifice was getting closer, and night was quickly approaching. Adman didn't have time to waste dealing out punishment to rogue Goblimon. He would try and walk with dignity. Once he was out of sight of the Goblimon his stride would be significantly reduced. Shadowmon sulked. They had been closer to death than they would have liked. This was not how the day was supposed to go.

* * *

><p>With ten minutes before nightfall on Adman's watch they had made it to the base of the eighty foot stone plateau. There were a series of poles and ledges in the side of the rock, but the whole thing seemed too difficult to climb. Adman took off his right glove and tucked it into his pack. He knelt down and rubbed some dirt in between his hands.<p>

Rika looked up the side of the wall. "You can't expect us to climb that."

Henry called over. "I'm not having Suzie go up that wall."

Adman limbered up and groaned, his back letting out an audible pop. "You won't have to. I'll climb it and send a rope down. Quit your complaining."

Rika stopped him. "You're hurt. This is stupid."

Jeri was with Rika on this. "Let Shadowmon go."

Shadowmon told Adman, "I could just shadow us up the wall."

Adman rejected the idea. "I'm not going to let you guys treat me with kid gloves just because I took a little scrape back there. I got this."

With that he took a running start and took three or four good steps up the side of the wall. At the very height of his run he gripped the edge of a ledge. With great upper body strength he pulled himself up to the narrow edge of the ledge. Then he began edging his way left to another crevice that was going vertical up the wall. He slipped both hands into the crevice and slowly climbed up the side of the wall using a one inch wide crack for support. When he got to the top of that he swung his lower body and leapt to one of the sturdy poles jammed in the wall. He gripped it and hauled his body up.

Kazu commented, "I guess he wasn't hurt that bad."

Rika corrected him angrily, "He's just being stubborn."

Adman was balancing on the thin wobbly pole as he positioned himself for the next jump. He ran up the wall again, now about fifty feet off the ground. At the height of his jump he made it to another ledge and pulled.

Kazu looked to Ryo. "Either this guy is just showing off or he's part monkey. Can you do that?"

Ryo shook his head no. "He can have that one on me."

Adman leapt to another pole and then swung from it to another one. Adman was about ten feet from the top now. There seemed no way to get to the last lip of the cliff. He looked at the wall and shot up it with the best jump he could. He was about two feet short, but that didn't matter. At the height of the leap he pulled his right arm back and slammed the sharp fingers into the rock itself. They dug in and cemented him there. With some effort he used his right arm to lift the rest of his body up until his left hand could reach the top. Then he pulled his right hand free from the wall and lifted himself up to the top. He was breathing heavily, trying not to look as weak as he felt. Adman stood and looked down on the people below. He quickly rose his arms and called down, "Ta-da!"

There was clapping from the younger girls. The older people knew it was a foolish act. He lowered a rope with a loop on the bottom down to the people below.

He tied the other end to a rock. "Shadowmon, would you act as a lift?"

The Digimon had been in his jacket the whole time. He left and melted into the ground near the rock. Then three long cords shot out of the ground around the rope. Adman checked down below. Takato was the first one in the rope. He nodded to Shadowmon who began to spin the cords in a circular pattern. The rope wrapped around the cords and Takato was quickly lifted up the edge of the rock face.

Adman helped the man up as he reached the edge. "Welcome to camp Hows."

Takato helped others while Adman was allowed to take a breather. The last person up was Kenta sitting on his trunk.

Suzie handed Adman a water bottle. "You look tired after your climb so I thought you could use a drink."

Adman sipped it and tried to avoid making a bad face. He hated the taste of water, but he thanked her and gave it back. Then he pulled out his canteen filled with whisky and took a deep gulp. That got the taste out of his mouth. With enough hits from the canteen his body would start to feel better too. This had been a rough first day.


	28. Chapter 28: Nightfall

_Disclaimer: This work is for purely entertainment purposes and is not for profit. I do not own Digimon or any characters previously seen in Digimon. If anyone who does own Digimon sees this I am more than willing to help with the next season. Enjoy._

**Chapter Twenty- Eight: Nightfall**

The plateau where the Tamers made camp the first night they were back in the Digital world was, like the rest of that area, sparsely furnished. Three fallen logs served as seats while awake and pillows while sleeping. The Tamers made camp atop the plateau, making do with what was around. With the first step of the journey complete the complaining began.

"My feet hurt. Why do we have to do all this walking?" Suzie kicked her shoes off and sat on one of the logs.

Adman Hows wasn't with the group. He was pacing the perimeter. With him busy it was up to Shadowmon and the older Tamers to answer questions.

The dark fox appeared next to Suzie and told her, "I'm sorry your feet hurt, but that is how we get around here."

Suzie rubbed her tired feet. "I just expected more."

Ryo chuckled. "I know. I expected light cycles on my first trip here. We really should start a shuttle service of some kind."

Shadowmon missed the lightheartedness of Ryo's comment and replied honestly, "We'd have no way of refueling them. It'd be a waste of effort."

* * *

><p>The dark Tamer sat down on a log with as much dignity as he could muster and removed his pack. His back was giving him fits. He took off his jacket and unsheathed his sword. With the blade positioned right he used the reflection to check his back. He slowly pulled up his shirt and frowned. His back was completely purple in places. His back wasn't broken, but the blows he'd received from the Goblimon had caused some internal bleeding. If it weren't for his hybrid nature such problems without medical attention could prove disasterous. In his position Adman was still in need of aid. He'd need to break out his medical kit.<p>

Adman was interrupted by Rika kicking his shoe gently. "Feeling any better?"

He cracked a smile and quickly covered his back. "I won't lie, Miss Nonaka. I've been better. Been a whole lot worse too, but you know."

Rika told him, "You look like hell. I'll get you Henry."

Adman shook his head. "I'm fine. I'll call him when I'm ready. Just leave me be right now. I love the companionship, but right now I'm a wounded animal. It's best to keep your distance."

Rika nodded. "Hey about that animal thing…"

Adman stopped her. "You're curious about my eyes thing aren't you? I'm sorry you had to see that. Lets keep it between the two of us. Call it a byproduct of the virus type data in my arm. The damn stuff runs throughout my body and reacts to emotions in a pretty tangible way. I always just consider it the virus side of me trying to get out. On the plus side it does make me slightly more durable. Otherwise we wouldn't be having this conversation. If there aren't any other questions…"

Rika felt like she was being shooed away and it irritated her, but she felt like Adman's secrets weren't worth the effort. He was holding back, but she didn't care enough to demand more.

* * *

><p>Ai walked around with a cellphone in the air.<p>

Takato spotted her and nudged Henry. "You want to tell her that there's no service here or should I?"

Henry motioned for Takato to do the honors.

Takato walked over to Ai and asked, "What are you up to?"

Ai didn't look to Takato as she replied, "I'm trying to get reception so I can call my boyfriend and tell him I'm alright. For some reason I can't get one freakin' bar! Lame."

Takato sighed. "Uh Ai, I don't know how to tell you this, but you won't get reception. Nothing electronic works here."

Ai looked to Takato in utter confusion. "Wait. This is the DIGITAL world, right? Don't we have technology that sends phone calls over the internet? Shouldn't this work?"

Takato tried explaining it differently. "I had a heck of a time trying to get a PDA to work my first time here. Look around you. See any telephone lines? Even if this world didn't disrupt technology there'd be no cellphone towers to take the signal."

Ai frowned. "So no calls? Ever?"

Takato just shook his head.

Ai pocketed her phone. "So what do we do for fun?"

Suzie called over to the girl, "Hey Ai! Kenta, Ryo, and I are setting up a mahjong game. We need a fourth. Come join us!"

Takato gave the girl a nod.

Ai walked over to the trio. "How did you guys get this down here?"

Ryo explained, "Kenta packed it. Great idea, Kenta."

The four began playing a game.

* * *

><p>Henry, Takato and Jeri sat in a circle and talked. Takato was uncharacteristically quiet.<p>

Jeri finally noticed and asked, "Is everything alright, Takato?"

Takato nodded. "Yeah. I'm fine. Don't worry about me."

Henry could tell something was bothering him. "Alright, now do you want to tell us what's really going through your head?"

Takato sighed. He pulled out his handgun and set it on the ground in front of him gently. "I'd never shot anybody before today. I just… I know I had to do what I did, but still."

At that moment the dark Tamer called Henry over.

Henry told the group, "Sorry, but I have to go. Hopefully he finally wants medical attention."

Ryo had overheard from his game and called back, "He always wants attention."'

Takato ignored him.

Jeri held Takato's hand. "I'm sorry, Takato. You did the right thing though. Adman's alive because you, Rika and Ryo decided to help him. I know it's hard but…"

Takato stopped her. He gently replied, "That's the thing, Jeri. It wasn't hard at all for me to do what I did. It felt… natural. That's what scares me. For a second out there I was Gallantmon again. They were just enemies that I needed to strike down in order to defend my friends. What am I becoming?"

Jeri held Takato tighter. "Nothing. You're always going to be Takato."

Takato nodded. "I'm not sure if this is Adman's fault, or the Digital world's, or if it's just me. I just don't know."

Jeri was going to say something, but then she suddenly felt a rumbling in her stomach that signaled an emergency. "Excuse me. I need to talk to Rika."

Jeri ran over to Rika who in turn walked them both over to Adman.

Adman was still being worked on by Henry. Henry was injecting the dark Tamer with a yellow glowing liquid. It went into his right arm and caused great pain. Takato watched everything from a distance, but felt like he was better off leaving it alone.

Ryo sat down next to Takato, his game finished. "I heard your conversation with Jeri, and I have some advice. That is if you want to hear it."

Takato smiled weakly. "Ok."

Ryo told him, "Killing things isn't always hard, but regretting it is natural. We're Tamers, we take things out all the time, but we should try and find a better way. Take your pistol and try not using it again when a problem comes up. And if you do have to use it make sure you regret it. If you give a man a gun and he doesn't regret what he does with it…" Ryo motioned over to Adman, who was just putting his gloves back on. "Then you get that."

At that point Ryo noticed Shadowmon nearby and said, "No offense."

Shadowmon shrugged. "I'm in complete agreement with you. Some people shouldn't have weaponry, but you try taking it away from him."

At that moment Rika walked back to the rest of the group with a small shovel and a roll of toilet paper. Jeri was following behind her, looking distressed.

Rika called out, "Does anyone need to use the bathroom?"

Kazu raised his hand, but Rika shot him a look. "Any girls need to go to the bathroom. Adman will take the guys down later."

Ai and Suzie went with Rika and Jeri.

Shadowmon stood up too. "I'm their way down. I have escort duty, so if you'll excuse me."

* * *

><p>With the girls gone Henry returned to the group. Adman was left to clean his gun. Kazu walked over to talk to the dark Tamer.<p>

Ryo told Takato, "Hey guess what? Adman gave me a position just under you. I'm next in his 'chain of command'."

Takato felt that was a strange move. "But you disobeyed him just like Rika and I."

"He hasn't yelled at any of us about it."

Takato knew Ryo was right on that. "It still seems odd though. I mean I don't really trust him, and you aren't his biggest fan either."

Ryo suggested, "Maybe he's trying to convince us."

Takato nodded. "That's probably it."

Ryo smiled and relaxed in his spot. "Or maybe he really does think we're the best people to lead the group. There is always that possibility."

Henry sat down between the two and interrupted. "Takato, I stole something from Adman's medical kit. You wouldn't believe the stuff I just put into his arm. Electrified data of some kind! Even he was doubled over in pain by it."

Takato brought him down to a whisper. "What did you get?"

Henry set down a small box filled with assorted pill bottles. "He's got an awful lot here so I figured I'd take a closer look."

Ryo replied, "A tranquilizer would do Adman good."

Takato was more focused. "What is he taking?"

Henry opened it up. "Let's see. Most of this is multivitamins. Calcium, beta-carotene, a multivitamin, and stuff like that. What else?"

Ryo was engaged now. "There's more? That sounds like a lot already."

Takato suggested, "Maybe it takes that much to keep his body in shape."

Henry kept looking. Then he stifled a laugh.

Takato asked, "What?"

Henry explained, "These two are male enhancement drugs."

Ryo smirked too. "You mean like Viagra?"

Henry shook his head. "No. Like the rest of this stuff it's a daily supplement. For stamina and growth, I think. Apparently he needs a little help."

An agitated voice behind the trio got them all to jump. "You don't have to need it to be improved by it."

Adman had snuck up on the three. He looked the three over and then sat among them. "You should have invited me to this character assassination. I'd have a few things to say. Hey doc, isn't this stuff supposed to be confidential?"

Henry was going to say something, but Adman stopped him. "Go ahead. By all means, finish. There's one that I have a feeling you'll want an explanation."

Henry looked at the last bottle and read the label. "But that's… why would you need that?"

Adman grinned.

Takato asked, "What is it?"

Adman answered for Henry, "It is an antipsychotic drug used to treat schizophrenia. To answer your next question no, I do not have schizophrenia."

Henry began to ask, "But why…?"

Adman cut him off. "This is the medication I take when I travel to the Digital world. The supplements give my body the nutrients that aren't readily restored here. The antipsychotic I find helps with the lack of sleep."

Henry was astounded. "That's not what its intended for. This goes beyond self-medicating. This is dangerous."

Adman shrugged. "I find it takes the edge off. You don't need to sleep in the Digital world. The body can handle it, but the mind can't. It requires rest after a while just to recharge. I find these reduce the negative side effects from not sleeping. I recommend you all add it to your regiment if you plan on pulling multiple all nighters. In conclusion, I'm not insane and you guys shouldn't steal my meds. Get some sleep, gentlemen."

He took the pill box back and walked away.

Takato looked to Ryo. "What just happened? Did we get scolded, schooled, or what?"

Henry told Takato, "I think that was a warning."

* * *

><p>Takato drank from a water bottle. He, Kazu, Kenta, Ryo and Henry were sorting through the food each of them had brought for the trip while they conversed.<p>

Kazu told the group, "I'm betting ten to one that the assassins after us are Digimon. I mean think about it. What else could bring down partnered Digimon?"

Takato remembered how Hypnos had brought down a DarkLizardmon. "A government agency. Trust me."

Ryo nodded. "He's right. I mean Hypnos managed to capture all our Digimon without killing them. Imagine what they could do if they came in full force."

Henry objected. "Yeah, they can, but why? The Tamers aren't a threat to them. Digimon haven't been an issue for a long time. This threat is supposedly killing us too."

Kazu spoke up, "See that's why I think it's a Digimon army. Like the Dark Masters or something."

Takato chuckled. "You're such a nerd."

Kazu retorted, "Hey you knew exactly what I was talking about, so go ahead and tell me how much of a nerd I am. The point is this: We kicked the D-reaper's ass. We've tossed Sovereigns around. We're big cheeses in the Digital world. If anything wanted to get to Earth and take over they'd have to get through us. That'll be a lot easier if we're all dead."

Henry shivered. "It's scary how that actually makes sense. But how could Digimon get through Yamaki's firewall? Or Adman's for that matter? And even if they could wouldn't they show up on the Hypnos systems? I mean don't they monitor for stuff like that?"

Takato looked over to Kenta, who hadn't put any input into the conversation. "What's your opinion, Kenta?"

Kenta shook his head. "I don't have an opinion. As far as I'm concerned I'm just here to get MarineAngemon back."

Kazu encouraged Kenta. "Great idea. Let's focus on our goals and forget about the possible death machines hunting us." There wasn't a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

Takato nudged Ryo. "What did you bring?"

Ryo pulled an energy bar from his pocket. "This is the extent of the food I packed."

"Really travelling light, huh Ryo," said Kazu.

Takato added the energy bar to the pile. "So our options are impending invasion, or government assassinations."

Kenta mumbled, "Or some crazy nut with funding."

Takato looked over to Adman, who was sitting far away from the others. "Good point. I never would have though a single person could do something like that, but now…"

Henry lowered his voice. "There is one other possibility. Maybe Tamers aren't being hunted down. Maybe Adman made it all up to get us to come here."

Ryo told Henry, "There's no use in thinking about that one."

Everyone looked to Ryo.

Takato asked, "Why?"

Ryo replied casually, "Because he already has us. We're stranded in the Digital world, no rescue party is coming, and he's the guy with the gun, the Digimon, and our Digivices. If that's the case then whatever his plan is will probably happen. There's nothing we can really do about it."

Takato sighed. "So let's cross our fingers and hope that there really is something out there hunting us down and Adman is protecting us out of the goodness of his heart? Why do I feel so screwed?"

Ryo replied, "I don't think he means us any harm. Otherwise he could have just killed us once we crossed over."

Henry let out a low-pitched whine. "Why didn't you bring up these possibilities before we came here?"

Ryo told the group. "Here's what I think is going down. If Adman is trying to use us, and I'm not saying he is, but if… then he wants our Digimon. We're the only ones that can use our Digivices to track them down, so he'll at least need us that long. He won't let anything happen to us until then, and after that, when we get our Digimon, we'll at least have a fighting chance against him."

Kazu was the optimist of the group at the moment. "But that's if he's using us. What if he really is protecting us?"

Ryo smiled and broke the tension. "Then he's not the worst thing to worry about. I tell you one thing; I'd rather have him with us than against us."

Takato sighed. "How is it I'm twenty-three years old and I still feel like a little kid stuck between a rock and a hard place."

"Takato!"

Kazu motioned to Rika, who was walking with purpose towards Takato, "I'd like to introduce you to your hard place. Just hope she doesn't find a rock. Or the hard place… will hit you… with a rock…"

Kenta patted Kazu on the knee. "You should have stopped earlier."

Kazu agreed. "Yeah, it's been a rough day."

Rika looked fairly angry. Takato was apparently the source of her displeasure.

Ryo stood up. "I'll handle this. Hey Pumpkin, why the look? We're all on the same team here."

Rika shoved Ryo aside. "Can it, Akiyama. Goggle-head, you shot Adman today!"

Takato laughed for just a moment. _'This? This is what she's angry at me about?'_

Rika glared and Takato's laugh stopped short.

He tried to explain, "Hey he attacked us first! I was just protecting myself. And I really didn't mean to. The gun just sort of…went off."

Ryo asked Rika, "Why do you care? He's a tough guy. He's not dead."

Henry added in, "Rika, he's not what he seems. We checked his medications and…"

Rika stopped them. "I've heard all this. He told me not to say anything."

Kazu flippantly added, "Yet here you are."

Rika sighed and motioned to Takato. "You shoot him and he gives you the number two slot, "she looked to Ryo, "and you disobey him and get promoted too. What the hell?"

Kazu began chuckling. "Now that you phrase it like that it's pretty funny. He's a glutton for punishment. Maybe if I kick him in the balls I'll get the next slot."

Rika shot Kazu a glance. "Listen, you just need to take it easy on him, ok? He's not invincible. Have you seen his back?"

Ryo tilted his head. "Ok, Rika. I understand. He's done a lot for us and we should be thankful, but we just don't know much about the guy."

Kenta spoke up, "Have you even thanked him for the whole Goblimon thing?"

Rika hadn't. "No… I mean I saved him too. What? Why should I thank him?"

Kazu felt victorious. "Ah ha! There it is! You're not mad at Takato. You're mad at yourself because Adman took an ass whooping for you and you can't say thank you. That's not our problem. Go take your bad attitude somewhere else."

At that moment the event of nightfall occurred. Night in the Digital world was different from night on Earth. Instead of a slow progression of the sun setting darkness simply swept across the world instantaneously. The entire digital plain was cast into a darker version of itself in less than thirty seconds, like the flipping of a switch. They saw it coming a ways away.

Ai spotted it first. "What is that?!"

Takato saw it to. "I forgot about this."

Ryo called out to the group. "Nobody panic. This is normal."

It swept over them in an instant.

Suzie panicked. "What was that?! Can we start a fire?"

Henry tried comforting her. "Sure we can have a fire."

Adman called over stubbornly. "No fire!"

Henry was angry that Adman was forcing his sister to be scared. "What? Why?"

Adman was back into his normal demeanor. "Because in the Digital world we are no longer the top of the food chain. Fire attracts attention, especially from our height. I'll allow flashlights for short use, but no fire. I don't want to be fighting things off us all night because your sister is afraid of the dark."

Ryo stood up. "I'll stand guard with you. There's no reason the others should suffer because you're paranoid."

Suzie hated people arguing over her. "It's ok. I don't mind. My eyes are adjusting now. I can see better. The suddenness of it just spooked me, that's all."

Adman walked away. "Problem solved. Rika, leave the guys alone and follow me. We have things to discuss. Bring your sword."

Rika pointed to Kazu. "This isn't over."

Kazu taunted her. "Well it looks over. It looks like you're walking away."

Kenta told Kazu, "What are you doing? She's gonna kill you."

Kazu puffed out his chest. "I'm not scared."

Takato chuckled. "It's easy to say that when she's walking away. You have to sleep sometime, Kazu."

Rika grabbed her sword and followed the dark Tamer. Adman picked up his own sword. He tossed his pack to the ground and unsheathed his blade. The duo were away from the rest of the group.

The dark Tamer told Rika, "Unsheathe your sword. I'm going to teach you something."

Rika did and held it at the ready.

Adman told her, "Today you disobeyed me and came running into battle. You could have been killed. Hell, I could have been killed trying to save you."

Rika denied the idea. "I didn't need saving. You're the one who needed help."

Adman glared at her. "Is that so? Well then since you're so capable I have a challenge for you. Attack me. If you land one hit then I'll forgive you and let you do as you please. If I disarm you then you'll lose and you give me the appropriate kindness for someone who saved your life. A thanks will suffice. Sound fair?"

Rika hesitated. "This is dangerous."

Adman smirked. "Not for me it's not. Come on, Miss Nonaka. You think you're tough as nails? Prove it."

Rika sighed. She collected herself and ran towards Adman. The dark Tamer tossed his sword into the air. Rika followed it with her eyes, surprised by the tactic. As she did Adman swept below her sword arm and grabbed it with his left. He caught his blade with his right hand and jabbed it into the ground. With his left leg he kicked the back of Rika's knee and forced her to kneel on the ground. Then he twisted her arm until she released her blade. It was all over in an instant.

At that moment Takato had approached the two. He spoke gently. "What's going on here, guys? You two aren't fighting already are you?"

Adman grinned, but didn't release Rika. "I'm teaching, Takato. She's in no danger. Allow me to complete the lesson. I'll release her, her arm will be fine. Thanks for your concern."

Jeri was close to Takato, unsure. "Rika, are you ok?"

Rika's shoulder hurt like hell. Her arm felt like it was about to snap. Still she didn't want to give Adman any further satisfaction. "Yeah, I'm fine."

Takato firmly stated, "Don't hurt her."

Adman released Rika. "Wouldn't dream of it."

He nudged Takato. "I saw your hand over your pistol. Good of you not to draw it this time. Nice self control. I need to point something out though. I can be very gregarious, very understanding, when I want to be. You already shot me once in the past twenty-four hours though. If you do it again I'll be forced to take it personal. You get me? You don't want a man like myself pissed at you. Not here, not anywhere else, not ever. Capiche?"

Takato nodded. "Just don't hurt anybody. I don't think that's asking too much."

Adman went right back to his lesson with Rika. "That was a simple tactic, Miss Nonaka. One that left your opponent unarmed. Even then you still couldn't land a hit on me. Pathetic."

Rika rubbed her arm, now in a fury. "Hey I'm not you, ok! I don't go chopping people up for fun!"

Adman sheathed his own sword. He had a knowing look on his face. "That's my point. You aren't me, yet you still thought you could just run into that fight without your Digimon. I'll train you how to handle these situations, but you aren't there yet. In the meantime…" The dark Tamer kicked Rika's sword back towards her. "Pick it up and let's try again. Sheath it and I'll show you something."

Rika sheathed her weapon. Adman removed the scabbard from his belt and sheathed his sword inside it. Both his weapon and Rika's had a loop that fastened to the hilt so that the sword wouldn't fall out.

The dark Tamer told her, "Now we can make contact without hurting each other. Say I'm one of those Goblimon. I'll attack you in their typical barbaric fashion and you counter."

Adman brought his sheathed sword up and then rushed her like a Goblimon. He even let out a mimicked Goblimon war cry to add to the effect. He brought it down like a club. Rika brought her sword up and blocked the attack.

Adman stopped acting. He froze, as did Rika. "What are you doing?"

Rika was annoyed. "I thought I was blocking your attack?"

"I'm a Goblimon. Goblimon are much stronger than your average human. You aren't going to block that attack. You just aren't strong enough. Like I said, you aren't me."

Rika backed away, annoyed. "Fine then. How would you do it? If you were me, that is?"

Adman assumed a defensive stance. "You're the Goblimon then. Come at me."

Rika imitated Adman's run and attack. Instead of blocking Adman dodged to the side.

The dark Tamer put his sword to Rika's stomach, the scabbard protecting her. "Now stop."

Rika froze.

Adman instructed her, "Notice where my blade is. I'm going to simply pull it across as I dodge to the side." He did so.

Rika smirked. "So you disemboweled me."

Adman explained. "But that won't kill a Goblimon. It does hurt, however. Hold your stomach."

Rika did so.

Adman then continued his fake attack. He moved the sword from the stomach and around to the back of Rika's neck in a chopping motion. "Notice your head instinctively lowered as you grabbed your stomach. This attack would kill the Goblimon. Now watch again in regular speed."

Adman performed the whole attack in normal speed. "Notice how I'm not actually looking at the Goblimon as I behead him. I'm already looking around, selecting my next target, and making sure I'm not about to get hit. Now you try."

Adman and Rika again switched rolls. Rika performed Adman's attack as he had. Her sword ended on the back of his neck.

The dark Tamer motioned to her. "Excellent. You learned something today. I'll try and teach you a new move each day so that you get better.

Rika attached her sword to her belt. "That will come in useful."

Adman laughed. "I gave you a weapon for a reason. I wanted to train you a long time ago. Things just didn't work out."

Rika looked to her sword. "I've always wanted to ask, why is it so different from yours?"

Adman chuckled, "maybe because I'm overcompensating for something. Go ahead and make the joke, everyone else does." He mumbled, "Right before I cut them in half."

Rika persisted, "No, I mean why is it a Katana? Is it just because I'm Japanese?"

Adman sat down on a log. "Actually I was hoping for dual lugers or something like that, but I don't have a say in the matter."

Rika sat down next to the dark Tamer. "What do you mean you don't have a say?"

Adman explained. "I pay the tribute and get a weapon, but I don't get a say in what comes out of the forge. It's probably best that you got a katana and not a sword like mine. Otherwise you'd be way too slow."

Rika took the statement as a challenge. "Oh come on! Like you're the only person who can handle your sword."

Adman unsheathed his weapon and set it on the ground. "It isn't like I'm the only person who can touch it, but you'd have to be pretty strong to use it effectively." Rika wrapped her hands around the hilt of the sword and lifted. The sword was weighted horribly! The tip of the sword seemed somehow heavier than the rest of it. It was like someone had made a sledgehammer into a blade. She lifted with both hands and only just barely managed to get it balanced.

Adman stood and took it from her. "See."

Rika panted. "How the hell do you use that?!"

Adman spun it around expertly. He imitated a forward thrust with no sign of the weight the sword had. "I have an extraordinary arm, Miss Nonaka. Unless you were a tough Digimon you probably couldn't use this sword as it's intended. Supposedly each weapon is destined for a person. Shadowmon and I can channel energy into my sword. You and Renamon might be able to do something special with yours."

Rika couldn't imagine what her sword could do, but she was determined to find out.

Adman nudged her. "So what do you say?"

Rika was unsure what he meant. "What?"

Adman reminded her, "We had a deal. I disarmed you. Something along the lines of 'I'm sorry I disobeyed you and put you in danger' would do nicely."

Rika refused.

Adman tapped his finger on his leg impatiently. "Really? You have nothing to say to me? I taught you a new move, I protected you from an almost certainly fatal pummeling, and thanks to you I'm probably going to be bruised for at least a week. You really have nothing to say to that?"

Rika snapped at him. "Ok! Fine. Thanks for helping me out. I could have handled myself, but thanks."

"No sweat. I promised your mom I'd get you back home in one piece. I really don't want to have to give her my sword and let her cut me into ribbons, so…"

Rika kicked him in the leg. "You can't just quit while you're ahead can you? So that was all because of my mom, huh?"

Adman shrugged. "That and I've, well, I've gotten used to your company. If you bite the big one the only person I'll be able to have engaging conversations with is Jeri. A fine woman and all, but... Let's just say it's a long enough trip to make without having to mourn the loss of a fellow warrior."

Rika understood what Adman was saying. This was the closest she'd get to a complement from the man in black.

* * *

><p>It was late in the night. All of the Tamers were settling into bed when Suzie called out, "I think I see something!"<p>

Shadowmon appeared alongside her. He was calm as he asked. "Can you show me?"

Suzie pointed to a pink beam that was falling from the earthly globe that served as an ever present satellite in the Digital world.

Shadowmon, being used to the beams, replied. "So?"

Suzie told him, "I'm sure it's getting closer."

Shadowmon looked at the beam a moment longer and concluded the girl was right. There was indeed a pink data stream heading their way. "Sir, we have a data stream incoming."

Ryo cursed their luck. "I knew we shouldn't have camped out in the open like this. We're completely exposed. We need to get out of here now."

Takato began to shout orders to the others, "Everyone, pack up your things! We need to get going or we're going to get swept away!"

Adman sat down on a log next to Takato, his pack resting between his knees, and told him, "There'll be no time for that. It's coming fast. Here, take this."

The dark Tamer handed Takato a small plastic gun. It looked like the guns used in grocery stores to scan items.

Adman explained, "You've probably got the steadiest hand here. Aim that thing at the data stream and pull the trigger. Hold it."

Takato objected, "There's no time for this stuff."

Adman dug through his pack and countered, "You don't even know what it does. Kenta, take this keypad."

Kenta took a keypad numbered zero through nine.

The dark Tamer handed Kazu a pair of binoculars. "I trust you can read. Look through these at the data stream. Numbers will appear. Tell Kenta what you see as you see it. He'll put the numbers into the keypad. Takato, keep the gun pointed at the data stream."

Jeri nudged Adman as the three men did what they were told. "What are those things?"

Adman explained. "The gun sends out a laser to the data stream. It slowly zeroes in on the I.P. address of the data stream, and sends the information to the goggles. Then Kenta puts in the code to confirm it. In which case a system in the human world should negate the activity of the data stream user."

Kazu slowly rattled off digits.

Ryo asked, "How long does this take?"

"About ninety seconds," Adman replied.

The data stream was getting closer. They were running out of time.

Kazu yelled back, "Hey it isn't giving me numbers anymore."

Suzie and Ai were frantically packing. Rika grabbed the two. "Whatever happens we all need to stay together. Don't panic."

At that moment the data stream turned red and disappeared.

Adman chuckled. "Problem solved."

Takato lowered the scanner gun slowly. "How…"

Kazu cheered, "We did it! Woo hoo! Great gadget Adman. You totally toasted that data stream!"

Adman put his pack back over his shoulders. "From where I was sitting it looked like you guys did that. I had no part in it. Good job."

* * *

><p>"Check," Rika declared as she moved her bishop over a pawn Adman had on the chess board.<p>

Adman chuckled. "Good move. Saw it coming, but good move. You're not bad at this, Miss Nonaka."

Rika yawned deeply. "You mean for a girl, right? Yeah, well I'm good at games."

Adman moved his rook and took Rika's bishop. "I didn't say that. You're tired. I want you at your best when I beat you. Why don't we continue this later?"

Rika snapped herself into wakefulness, determined to go on. "Oh no. No way are you winning this by default. I'll beat you no matter how tired I am." She moved her queen into a new strategic position.

"I won't think any less of you if you postpone our game. You know I really appreciate you hanging with me, but you don't have to. I'm not your most recent charity case am I?" The dark Tamer moved a pawn further down the board, defended by his rook's placement.

Rika looked at the board, wondering how she was going to keep Adman from getting his pawn across the board and getting his second bishop back. "You know you're not half bad yourself."

Adman finished for her, "For a dumb soldier, right?"

"But I… Oh I get it."

"I knew you would."

* * *

><p>Kazu and Kenta sat on the side of the plateau with the new device. Kazu pointed the scanner gun at any data stream within range while Kenta looked through the binoculars with one hand while punching in the given code with another.<p>

Each time a data stream would go down Kazu would make a joke. "Error 404. File Not found." "Access denied. Please try again later." "I'm sorry, Dave. I can't do that." "Go ahead and blame it on the dial-up."

Kenta yawned. "We should call it a night."

Kazu reluctantly agreed. "Yeah, I guess you're right. Got any extra blankets in that trunk of yours?"

Kenta did. He pulled one out for Kazu. "Here. I kind of thought we'd need them."

Kazu and Kenta weren't the only ones succumbing to sleep. Takato and Jeri were settling in for the night, nustled close together for warmth. Henry had adopted the role of guardian over the two girls. While they were winding down he was wide awake. Once they were out he'd fall asleep too. Ryo had his back against Kenta's trunk. He slept in that sitting position without any difficulty. From far off he looked like another watchful guard. Rika slept with her head propped on a log near the far side of the plateau. Once Henry nodded off it was Shadowmon alone who stood watchful and alert. He could crouch near the edge of the plateau and listen for hours, not moving a muscle, and stay aware of possible threats. The dark Tamer had wanted to stay awake, but sleep snuck up on him regardless. He sat on the opposite edge of the plateau, crouched like Shadowmon. His right elbow was rested on his right knee. His right hand supported his chin. He'd tried to stay awake, but his body hadn't given up the circadian rhythm to the Digital world just yet. That would come later. Hunched over as he was a simple forward motion would send him over the edge of the plateau.

As he slept dark thought crept into his mind. Like small invaders they placed doubt all around him.

'_What are you doing?'_

'_You cannot save them.'_

'_You will fail. Fail like you always do.'_

'_They don't trust you.'_

'_They know what you are. Know what you've done!'_

'_You are as much a monster as the creatures you fight.'_

'_The Tamers are not like you. You are not compatible.' _

'_They will die and you will be to blame. You will fail. Just like before.'_

A meek, feminine voice spoke up in Adman's defense, '_Enough! Leave him alone. He can do this. I have faith in you, James.'_

Adman's eyes opened quickly. The nightmare was over.

He shook it off and grumbled. "Swimming in a sea of doubt brought about by a life of mixed fortunes. Like I don't have enough to worry about."

The dark Tamer noticed Rika not far from him sleeping peacefully. Her head was resting on the log shed sat on earlier. The girl had passed out shortly after winning their chess game.

Adman wrapped his jacket around her. "At least someone can sleep well."

With that done Adman went to the farthest place from the other Tamers on the plateau and watched the Digital world work in its silent grace. They were high enough that the wind storm below didn't affect them as much. Still he could see Digimon moving in the night in the unknown quests for survival.

Shadowmon appeared next to Adman. "Bad dreams again, sir? It's her again, isn't it?"

Adman nodded. "It's this place. Always jogs my memory of her and stirs up old feelings."

Shadowmon understood. "Yet you always want to come back."

Adman frowned. "I didn't say I hated the memories. I just don't want to experience them right this moment."

Shadowmon made the suggestion, "You know you could go to sleep. I know it makes you feel human."

Adman took a sip from his canteen. "Nothing really does anymore."

Shadowmon remained silent for a time before adding. "It would allow you to spend some time with her."

Adman let out a troubled sigh. "That I really don't want. I have too much on my mind to add that to the plate."

Shadowmon tilted his head to look at the girl lying by the log. "What about that one? You could go lie next to her. Keep her warm. I think she'd appreciate it."

Adman took a hard drag on his canteen before restraining himself. "There's brave and then there's just plain stupid. My jacket will keep her warm enough. She'll be fine."

The dark Digimon curled up next to Adman like a large dog, circling three times before laying his head in Adman's lap. Two dark brown eyes with a golden ring around the irises looked up lovingly at the Tamer. "Sir, I'm sorry for everything. I should have been better. I vow to protect these humans. I won't fail again."

Adman was in a horrible mood; the liquor not helping. He pulled out his digivice and let the familiar energy whip fall from it threateningly. "No, you won't. I'm taking that responsibility this time; you clearly can't be trusted with it. Go watch the other side of the cliff."

Shadowmon slithered away, but felt nothing but sadness for his master.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's notes:<strong>_ Good to be back again. I know its been forever and a day since you've last gotten a chapter, but I had computer issues that kind of set me back. Regardless, my misfortune should not mean you fine readers should have to suffer, so I'm trully sorry for that. I intend to make up for my absence by getting back to work and cranking out chapters as efficiently as possible. Thank you all for your continued support. -John C._


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